WAYS TO REACH US

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Let's clarify the three ways in which you can reach us to book an appointment.

 

Telephone (recommended)

This is, by far, the most effective way to contact us and a method that has been with us right from the very start of modern General Practice.

We appreciate that patients may have had difficulties with our antiquated telephone system in the past, however, with our new telephone system now, you can opt to be placed in a virtual queue and hang up the phone, and the system will actually call you back when you have reached the head of the queue. This reduces the need to repeatedly dial our number.

By ringing us, this allows you to interact directly with our reception team, who will ask some appropriate questions in order to determine the best way that we can help you. We have processes in place to cover any type of call that comes into our building, including clinical appointment requests, admin requests, fit note requests, urgent or abnormal lab results and calls from other health professionals. The process also covers medical emergencies which we touch on below. Following these processes allows us to direct your request to the most appropriate person to get the help you need in a timely manner.

We also encourage contacting us by phone if you ever have a more urgent or pressing problem, as our receptionists will be able to advise you on the best course of action, including advice to ring for an emergency ambulance. This improves patient safety and enables help to reach patients as quickly as possible as we still get calls or requests for appointments where patients have critical conditions that need urgent hospital care, for example, suspected heart attacks, stroke or sepsis (overwhelming infection).

Please do not hesitate to call if you are unsure. We would always prefer a call, rather than for you to turn up at the desk.

Call us How to tell if you're poorly webpage Is my child poorly? leaflet  

Online Consultation Request

Online consultation request is a relatively new method of getting in touch with us introduced in recent years. However, despite NHS England and the government heavily promoting this method of reaching your GP, there are still limitations with this type of request. It is never for anything urgent, such as a medical emergency, or where you need a quick response. It is also not a solution to providing unlimited access to your GP and does not solve any of the problems of General Practice. Ultimately, we still have the same number of staff, but those staff are now answering more requests arriving through more open channels.

As many of you know, for many years, Ivy Grove Surgery has always promoted a degree of self-care and resilience in its patient population. We also actively promote signposting, which is to direct patients to the most appropriate health professional, whether that be a GP, a nurse, a care co-ordinator, a physio, a dentist or a community or clinical pharmacist, a counsellor, a podiatrist (chiropodist) amongst many other examples. It also involves directing patients to other hospital services, such as A&E or an urgent treatment centre, for instance, due to injuries, or broken bones. This is not about deflecting work or trying to make life easier for ourselves, but it is a recognised way of ensuring that patients get the most appropriate and timely care for their condition.

We also promote lifestyle and activities that aim to improve your health, as you will have noticed in this and previous newsletters. Indeed, there is now increased national focus on improving people's health through preventative measures and the GP contract has recently been updated to accommodate such changes. We appreciate that not everyone may be able to fully achieve lifestyle and health improvements, but they do start off with small but ongoing changes in your daily habits.

Self-referral page Self-care page NHS A-Z of conditions

We also consider care to be a two-way process, between practitioner and patient, never simply a one-way transfer of advice or treatment from the clinician to patient, with the patient passively accepting what we tell them to do and with the patient then doing it, and then magically getting better. [If only life was as easy as that!]

We will always aim to provide you and your family with high-quality and friendly health care and in return, we expect all our patients to accept some responsibility for their own health, and we encourage them to do all they can to look after themselves and to stay healthy. As the saying goes:

Your health is our concern, but your responsibility

Adopting this recognised approach helps to keep our practice sustainable and keeps us available to help those who need to see a doctor and for those patients that don't actually need to see a doctor, we are then free to direct them to other more appropriate sources of help.

The reason for the above short preamble, is that, with the opening up of online consultations, many practices have experienced a pronounced reduction in both the levels of resilience and self-care in their patients. We noticed this ourselves in our last significant foray into online consultations in 2020-21. Patients were submitting multiple online forms daily, often within minutes of onset of symptoms, with no efforts having been made to review existing sources of help and information, self-care or self-referral.

We would like to stress that use of online consultations at Ivy Grove Surgery do not replace self-care and if you choose you use this service, we will continue to signpost you to other health professionals or advise self-care where this is appropriate.

If, after considering whether your condition is amenable to self-care or self-referral, and deciding that you do need to use our online consultation service, we would always encourage any patient to submit as much detail and information as possible on the form, so that we are able to understand your need more clearly and to help you more effectively. We also ask that for any visible condition, whether that be a rash, a limb or face problem, or eye/throat/mouth issue, please submit photos with your online consultation request. A good approach would be, if you can see it, and it's not going to be rude, take a photo of it and send it to us!

Submitting an online consultation does not guarantee an appointment or a conversation with a clinician and does not guarantee an immediate response. Any response, including advice, next steps or appointment details, may be by text message or email only, and it may take up to two working days for a response from an online request.

Given our past experience with online consultations, we are well aware that a significant proportion of our patients are not hugely comfortable with technology, and therefore, calling us by telephone as described above remains the most accessible method of reaching us. Alternatively, you may wish to come to the front desk and speak to a receptionist directly.

Online consultation request Self-care page Self-referral page NHS A-Z of conditions  

Front desk

Patients may wish to turn up at the front desk to speak to a receptionist to book their appointment, is they may feel this is more convenient.

We do need to state however, that there is a risk of dangerous overcrowding at the front desk and waiting room area, so this is not something we routinely encourage. You may need to wait a while in a queue whilst our receptionists work through each query.

Again, we do not recommend attending at the front desk if you feel you need immediate medical attention. There are various reasons for this recommendation.

Firstly, you may turn up at the front desk when a doctor may not actually be in the building to tend to you. Although rare, it does occasionally happen that the duty doctor, who is on for emergencies, has been called away to an urgent home visit.

Secondly, we run a full appointment system, and although we will always try and help anyone who needs assistance, doctors are often already busy with patients in front of them in their clinics.

Lastly, in the situation of requiring more immediate attention, we would always rather you ring us instead of turning up at the front desk, because our receptionist or duty doctor can always advise on the most appropriate course of action. This may be advice to ring for an ambulance, or go to A&E but it might also be to offer a prompt appointment at the surgery at a mutually convenient time, depending on the condition.

Compared to using the telephone, the ability to interact with our receptionist in much more limited at the front desk, and sometimes meaningful questions cannot be entertained at all, due to both privacy concerns and time pressures. Therefore, if you do need to speak in more detail or in confidence about any matter, or appointment request, please always contact us by telephone.

If you call us, we will always be pleased to advise you on the most appropriate course of action.

Conclusion

The best way to reach us and to get the most appropriate help remains by telephone, especially so if you need a quicker response from us. For issues that are not too pressing, or you just need some non-urgent advice or pointers of who to turn to, online consultation requests may be more appropriate. Turning up at the front desk may be an option for some who are unfamiliar with technology, but be prepared for a wait.

Whichever method you choose to reach us, we will always try and accommodate you, however we appreciate your understanding in choosing the best method according to your situation and needs, so that we may help you in the most appropriate manner.

Please note that General Practice remains a precious resource, funded by only 33p per patient per day. By its very nature, appointment capacity is finite. Although we will always try and accommodate our patients on the basis of clinical need and urgency, there will be times when we have to inform you that we have reached safe capacity for the day. This is in line with current BMA guidance and it is necessary to do this so that we can keep you safe and our staff safe and keep the practice sustainable for you, your family and future generations.

Whichever method you use to reach us, if you find that we have reached safe capacity for the day, we strongly recommend that you review the extensive resources available on our website, so that you can start to get the help that you need without delay. These options are outlined immediately below.

If we are full

If you need help and we are full, don't worry. There are options for getting the help that you need. You can try the following:

Attend another service

Self-refer to the right service or person Urgent treatment centre (UTC) When to visit an UTC 999 for life-threatening conditions A&E for medical emergencies In a mental health crisis 111 for advice Derbyshire Mental Health Helpline Get the right help leaflet Find a phone number you need

Get trusted medical info on your condition

NHS A-Z of conditions Patient.info health topics

Find out what to do online

NHS 111 online triage Patient.info symptom checker Ivy Grove symptom checker Cancer (red flag) symptoms Symptoms of serious illness Is my child poorly? Find out about and try self-care Get support for your mental health Help page - what each worker does Group A strep

Read an info leaflet to find out more

Downloads page Ivy Grove minor illness leaflets Self-help mental health leaflets Self-care Forum factsheets Is my child poorly? leaflet

 

FLU CLINIC

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Ian, our practice business manager now writes about flu clinic arrangements this year.

Protect Yourself This Winter — Book Your Flu & COVID Vaccinations at Ivy Grove Surgery!

As we approach the winter months, it's more important than ever to protect yourself and your loved ones from seasonal illnesses. Ivy Grove Surgery have once again listened to our patient's feedback and we are pleased to inform you about our joint flu and COVID vaccination campaign, with convenient, joint appointments available for our eligible patients. This will make it easier for you to stay protected — with both the flu and COVID vaccines offered together, meaning fewer appointments and less time out of your busy schedule.

Key Dates

Most patients will become eligible for their seasonal vaccinations from October 1st, 2025.

To help accommodate as many of you as possible, we've arranged Saturday vaccination clinics on:

• Saturday October 4th
• Saturday October 18th

We will also be holding drop-in clinics for those unable to attend to two main Saturday clinics - details will be posted on our flu page in due course (link below).

Why Vaccinate?

Flu and COVID-19 are not just common winter illnesses — for many, they can lead to serious complications. Vaccination remains the most effective way to reduce your risk of severe illness, hospitalisation, and spreading the virus to those more vulnerable in our community.

By getting vaccinated, you're not only protecting yourself, but also helping us reduce the strain on the NHS during the busy winter months.

Support Your Local Surgery

Choosing to have your vaccine at Ivy Grove Surgery directly supports your local GP practice. Every appointment attended here helps us remain sustainable, ensuring we can continue to offer the services you rely on. It's a small act that makes a big difference.

Look out for your invitation which will be sent out from Wednesday September 3rd or contact us from that date to book your appointment into one of the above clinics. Let's stay well together this winter — thank you for continuing to support Ivy Grove Surgery.

For information on the flu jab and covid jab eligible groups, please see the poster top right.

Flu page Covid vacc page

 

URINE SAMPLES

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We continue to accept samples for suspected urine infections over the front desk, however, please be aware of two issues.

Firstly, all urine samples submitted must have a urine drop-off questionnaire completed, as we are unable to accept samples with no clinical context or background information. The questionnaire asks about important clinical symptoms that you may be experiencing, therefore allowing us to treat you as effectively as possible. The symptoms being asked about are those that you are currently experiencing with your suspected infection, not symptoms that you have experienced in the past, or symptoms that have already resolved.

Secondly, we regret that we are unable to accept any urine samples after 5.00pm on a Friday evening. This is because samples have already been collected from the surgery and taken to the laboratory and we are advised not to store urine samples in the fridge over the weekend, due to the risks of contamination and unsatisfactory results.

Urine sample drop-off questionnaire NHS: Urinary tract infections (UTIs) Minor illness leaflet: UTIs

 

CERVICAL SMEAR UPDATE

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There has been an update to cervical smear screening intervals. As of July 1, 2025, routine cervical screening intervals will be extended from three to five years for women aged 25 to 49 years who test negative after attending cervical screening. This will affect how regularly women will need a smear.

The background to this is that studies have shown that women testing negative for HPV are extremely unlikely to go on to develop cervical cancer. Another study shows that five year screening intervals are as safe as three year intervals, with the same number of cervical cancers prevented and with fewer smears needed.

If you have a smear due on a particular date already, this will not change, and you will be invited and have your smear after the previously determined time period as usual. Those women attending for their next smear will be advised of the interval change.

For more information on cervical screening, please see the following links:

NHS: Cervical screening NHS: When you'll be invited for cervical screening

 

WEIGHT MANAGEMENT HELP

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As reported in a previous newsletter regarding weight loss injections, we are still unable to prescribe these to a wider cohort of patients.

We can however continue to offer support patients with weight management with help from various local services as well as an online (digital) weight management programme, which may be more suited to those who find it difficult to attend face-to-face for any reason.

Please get in touch with our admin team if you would like to consider a weight management referral. You can use our contact form if you wish us to refer you to any suitable services for which you might be eligible. If you do contact us, please supply us with a recent weight recording so that we can proceed with a referral if appropriate.

Weight loss injections Contact us Live Life Better Derbyshire

 

GREENER GENERAL PRACTICE UPDATE

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Dr Neely provides a short update as part of her series of articles on Greener General Practice.

Climate change and health

Did you know climate change affects your health? The World Health Organisation (WHO) has identified many ways this can happen at an individual and population level.

Research shows that 3.6 billion people already live in areas highly susceptible to climate change. Between 2030 and 2050, climate change is expected to cause approximately 250,000 additional deaths per year.

The issues most likely to affect someone in Ripley are: heat related illness, respiratory diseases and mental health issues. There are predictions the UK may see diseases like malaria occurring in some areas.

This is why we as a practice are trying to reduce our carbon footprint and the carbon footprint of what we prescribe.

We'll update you in future newsletters of how our efforts are going.

Stay tuned for more updates.

 

DR NEELY'S BIKE TRIP

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Dr Neely writes about her recent bike trip as an inspiration to those looking for adventure or exercise or simply good fun!

Last Christmas an old friend messaged me suggesting we do a big cycle ride together and sent me a link to a website. There were multiple great rides from 10km to 700km. I said great and asked when she'd started to be a proper bike rider (she's a ninja fell runner).

After a few messages it was clear she fancied the really silly one so we signed up for 5 days of a circuit of Yorkshire, 70% off road, following some great tracks, starting with the Pennine Bridleway, heading onto the coast to coast then the Cleveland Way, before going back over the southern part of the North York Moors and down to York and across the Humber Bridge, then back to our starting point near Hebden bridge. We were to trace the watershed of all the Yorkshire rivers.

I was only doing 2 hours a week on an ebike plus the odd weekend ride, so knew I had a lot of work to do on fitness and slowly started increasing my rides. Unfortunately, at the beginning of March I tore my calf muscle so was off completely for over a month before slowly starting to do small rides. By the time the event came round I had been following my amazing physio advice and although the longest ride I had managed was 50km mostly flat I knew I'd be able to at least start.

I managed the first day fairly well, over 100km and huge amounts of climbing and some really fun descents. I had struggled to eat much so spent most of the day going steady so I didn't 'hit the wall'. The next day brought some headwind, and a lovely bike shop sorted my brakes, so we made it to Northallerton with quite a few others.

We started day 3 a little later than we should have and got caught in some awful rain and headwind on the North York Moors. I had to pedal on down hills, so I didn't stop. I started to fall behind a bit, especially on 'the steps of Mordor' (Clay Bank) and a wonderful pub fed me soup which wasn't on their menu when I struggled to eat proper food still.

Day 4 brought much better weather and a great start to the day riding from Whitby to Scarborough on the Cinder Track. A quick ice cream in Scarborough then up through a beautiful forest on to Fylingdales Moor, then through a swarm of greenfly (I was covered) and down a swooping descent to Pickering. I could have gone a little further but chose to stop at teatime and try and refuel properly and get a shower in a Premier Inn.

I reset my sights on the Humber Bridge rather than getting back to the start and the next morning rode down through York and along the Humber Estuary (where it turned out to be another hard headwind) for tea and a lift back to pick up my car at Hebden Bridge.

It was a great adventure and next time hopefully I'll manage to find things I can eat better and have fewer headwinds!

Sounds totally exhausting, but clearly very worthwhile! If you would like more information on exercise or cycling, please click the links below:

Yorkshire Divide: Source to Sea Trail NHS: Benefits of exercise DCC: Travelling by bicycle Cycling in Derbyshire

 

MEDICAL EXAMINER SERVICE

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Those of you who have been in the unfortunate and sad position of having been recently bereaved will already be aware of this new system for processing death certificates, but we try to explain the new process now.

In the past, most death certificates in General Practice were written by the attending doctor who had knowledge of, or who was involved in, the deceased patient's care. The attending doctor was usually the patient's regular GP. Any deaths that were unexpected or where the attending doctor could not reasonably determine the cause of death would be referred by the attending GP to the coroner for investigation.

Since September last year, all deaths, without exception, now require an independent review by either a Medical Examiner or the coroner. These changes were brought in a result of reforms to the death certification process, arising from the Harold Shipman case, and to try and improve learning and patient safety by providing a system to review the care of a deceased patient.

The Medical Examiner is an independent senior doctor, from either a hospital or GP background, who has completed specific training for their role. Their job is to give an independent view on the cause of death and the care provided to a deceased patient.

When a patient has died, the attending GP will complete relevant paperwork along with a summary of the deceased patient's records and consultations and refer the case to the Medical Examiner. The Medical Examiner will then review the records as well as review the proposed cause of death.

The Medical Examiner or their officer may discuss the case and circumstances around the death of the deceased with their relative or representative. The purpose of this discussion is to increase understanding and peace of mind for families, for them to express any concerns, to understand why the person died, to have any medical language explained and to answer any questions that may arise.

The Medical Examiner will then liaise with the attending GP and agree the cause of death for the death certificate. Once the death certificate has been issued by the attending GP, it is then sent to the Registrar of Births, Deaths, and Marriages. The Registrar then contacts the deceased's representative to arrange an appointment for them to register the death.

If there is uncertainty around the cause of death, the Medical Examiner will direct the attending GP to refer the case on to the coroner for further investigation.

As there are now some extra steps involved in the process, it will now certainly take longer death certificates to be issued. This is unavoidable and not within the control of GPs, therefor please do bear with us whilst we work with this relatively new process.

Further information can be found below:

Medical examiner service information leaflet NHSE: Medical examiners GOV: An overview of the death certification reforms RCPATH: The role of medical examiners and medical examiner officers DCC: Registering a death Facebook page

 

RESULTS COMMENTS

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Many of you already have online access to your records and that, after you have had a blood test or other investigation, we know that you will be keen to know the result or what the doctor has said about your result.

Due to the popularity of online access, we are getting increasing numbers of queries from patients who are anxious to know what their doctor has said about their result. This is often before their usual doctor has made a formal comment on the result and is leading to increased workload for our staff as we field queries and pass these to our already busy duty doctor. We would therefore like to explain the process of how we file our results, so that we can allay any fears that patients have that their result is either grossly abnormal or that it could be missed.

Please don't worry if you have checked online access and can see a result on your record but there's no doctor's comment beside it!

Results arrive from the lab and land in doctors' inboxes around twice a day. Each doctor who is present in the building that day will review their own results and take any appropriate action and formally comment on their own results. For doctors who are absent that day, for instance, because they are on annual leave, or they don't work that day due to their working pattern, the duty doctor will cast an eye on all the results in the absent doctor's inbox.

Any results that are seriously abnormal, or any that require immediate action, the doctor looking at them, whether that be the usual doctor, or the duty doctor if the usual doctor is absent, will always take the appropriate action, whether that be, for example, to contact the patient directly, to get the patient booked in for a review, to organise a repeat or other test.

Please be reassured that we will always contact you if we need to take urgent action on any result. We do not expect you to sit anxiously on a result that could be grossly abnormal or one that could indicate serious illness. Whenever we need to get in touch with you urgently, it will generally be by telephone, therefore always let us know if you have changed your number.

Back to the inbox now. If the duty doctor has checked an absent doctor's inbox, and has dealt with any that need urgent action, any that are left are deemed not serious or do not require any urgent action. These other results can then be safely left in the inbox for the usual doctor to return and formally comment on, and then file into the record.

The reason we do things this way is to maintain continuity and improve care and overall decision making - the duty doctor's role here is to ensure no-one comes to harm by having an abnormal result being missed, the duty doctor's role is not to take over the care of that patient from the patient's usual doctor by making a comment on the result. That would be a case of 'too many cooks spoil the broth'.

Therefore, if you ever see a result with no comment on it, and we've not contacted you urgently about it already, you can be assured that it will already have been looked at by our duty doctor, and deemed safe to wait till your usual doctor reviews the result and makes a formal comment on it. So, please try not to worry.

If you have a query about needing a repeat test, please check our information page below:

Repeat tests

 

PRIVATE REFERRALS

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We have updated our private referrals information leaflet with new information.

If you wish to be referred privately, we cannot recommend a specific provider, nor advise on costs, however, you can contact some local private providers and make enquiries yourself, which will be on the leaflet below.

Referral letters are generally prepared quickly, however, please allow up to 5 workings days during busy periods. We will contact you when your referral letter is ready to collect. To avoid disappointment, we advise that you book your private appointment only when you have your referral letter in hand.

Please note that we do not complete hospitals' specific referral proformas to facilitate a private referral and also that a fee will be payable for any insurance forms that require completing as part of a private referral process.

For all private referrals, patients must sign a disclaimer document indicating that they understand that any tests and/or medication requests from a private provider may not be honoured by NHS GPs. Detailed reasons for this are given on our private provider information page.

Private referrals process info leaflet Private disclaimer document Private provider info

 

INFOGRAPHIC POSTERS

We continue our series of information posters and present the latest selection below.

 

DID YOU KNOW YOUR GP CARE COSTS?

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This poster compares the cost of your GP care to other realistic costs that your household might incur and and illustrates how much you get for so little.

 

DID YOU KNOW ABOUT YOUR HOSPITAL CARE?

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This poster is based on official NHS England advice and provides you with some reasonable expectations when you go to the hospital.

 

DID YOU KNOW THE LOW LOW LOW DOWN ON GP NUMBERS?

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This poster, based on the NHS's own official figures, shows the changes in medical staffing levels since 2010 and highlights the massive investment in hospital services and staff, in alarming contrast to the clear underinvestment in GP numbers. It might help you to understand the difficulties that GP surgeries are facing.

 

DID YOU KNOW WHY THERE ARE FEWER GPs?

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This poster helps to explain why there are fewer GPs. Unless action is urgently taken to address some of these issues, GP numbers will continue to decline, leading to even greater impact upon access to health services.

 

DID YOU KNOW NHS GENERAL PRACTICE IS INCREDIBLE VALUE?

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This poster shows the costs you would likely have to pay if NHS General Practice went under. It's a scenario that is not impossible to imagine, and we all know what happened with NHS Dentistry and the state of the nation's dental care.

 

DID YOU KNOW - BREAKING THE LAWS OF PHYSICS?

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This poster gives a realistic view of just what is achievable in the limitations of a 10-15 minute GP surgery consultation. Your GP does try their best, but cannot break the laws of physics, especially when there are other patients already waiting.

 

DID YOU KNOW HOW TO MAKE YOUR PATIENT JOURNEY EASIER?

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This poster gives 10 top tips for making your interaction with your GP surgery a lot easier, so that you get what you need out of it and get the most out of GP care.

 

DID YOU KNOW THE HEART AND SOUL OF GENERAL PRACTICE?

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Just what is General Practice? This poster aims to describe some of the positive aspects of this sector, things that patients value and need.

 

DID YOU KNOW ABOUT FIT NOTES?

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This poster aims to bust some common myths around fit (sick) notes and vital to know if you're going into hospital or seeing other health care professionals.

 

DID YOU KNOW - PLEASE VALUE YOUR GP SURGERY?

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Just a short poem about your GP surgery and its staff.

 

POSITIVE FEEDBACK RECEIVED

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Thank you to those patients who continue to send us encouraging feedback. We continue to share these heartwarming messages with our hardworking team and it is reassuring to hear of your positive experiences in a climate where critical comments are all too easily made about the NHS, GP surgeries and GP staff.

We really appreciate these messages, so feel free to continue sending them in. You can use our public profile on Google, or if you prefer a channel a little more private, you can use our contact form, or simply call into reception or at the front desk to leave your feedback with our staff.

We have implemented improvements to the service we provide to our patients as a result of feedback, so your comments remain welcome.

I can't speak highly enough of Dr Olaoke. He rang me withing a couple of hours to sort out a skin problem and prescribed medicine that sorted out a long term issue. I would also like to say that I made an appointment to see him regarding another issue.

It was a pleasure to meet him and I would like to add how friendly he was, whilst also being very professional at the same time. THANK YOU DR OLAOKE! PS. A great addition to the Ivy Grove Staff – CB

I'd just like to say thank you to Dr Olaoke for all you have down for me – RG

I've just called to say thank you to Dr Wong and Sally [reception] for sorting out my medication – SH

I want to say a BIG THANK YOU to Lisa. I've been seen now and it's all thanks to you – SC

How absolutlely wonderful Dr Lavender was at my appointment, I really appreciated everything Dr Lavender did for me. – KM

What a lovely doctor Dr Francis is – JS

I want to pass on my thanks to Kelly, and want to say what a great nurse she is and very thorough. – JH

Thank you Dr Francis for his care and without that the outcome would have been very different – KB

What a fantastic man Bothwell is [GP registrar] – GJ

Thanks to Julie for booking me a same day appt with a GP – CB

I was so pleased with the kind, gentle and caring way Dr Olaoke dealt with my grandson – CA

I want to tell you how wonderful Sally was on reception today. She can never do enough for my husband and I – BS

What wonderful treatment I have received from the surgery. Both Drr Francis and Dr Greerhave been brilliant with me and I am very grateful to Ivy Grove. – AA

Just wanted to thank all reception staff and Dr Wong who made making a GP appointment for my daughter so easy and straight forward today. Dr Wong was friendly and happy to speak to       who was happy to tell him what her concern was. The doctor's office was friendly and welcoming. Super professional and helpful but also friendly and approachable. Great work by everyone – JH

Always kind and helpful, every single staff member I've come across. The new form works really well too. Thank you, you all do a great job! – HAM

Appt today with Dr Neely. Nothing was too much trouble for her. I left feeling a lot better and a new plan in action. What a star! ★ – JM

Drs have all listened and sorted my health conditions – AF

Many thanks to Sarah and Dr Wong for their prompt action this afternoon to appease my concerns I really appreciate it and the call back and attention. – SW

Went to well-being clinic and had       taken. Was referred to surgery and given my readings to take to them. Receptionist immediately referred to GP, and then used pod to take another (slightly lower) reading then GP asked to see me. Very calm, very thorough, very helpful (if concerning that my       is so high for no obvious reason). I am very grateful. – AB

Fabulous and thorough consultation with Dr Marval this morning. Came away with clear plan and better understanding – FS

Had to join a queue to see the receptionist but she was very friendly and helped me see the right doctor. My appointment with Dr Greer was very friendly and she's put everything in place for me to help gain the answers to my condition – DH

Dr Wong was excellent and gave really good information – AA

Very satisfied with obtaining appointment and referral for physio – EG

I've always been happy with the treatment I get from both the doctors and the staff they do a very difficult job but are always compassionate – SH

Fantastic service at Ivy Grove this morning despite their forbidding and daunting internet home page – CH [thank you for your feedback CH - we have added some pointers to the home page to aid navigation]

I spoke to Julie this morning as I was suffering a lot with      . I know you do not normally see patients with       but I had been to the hospital twice. Julie was so kind and after speaking to a doctor managed to get me an appointment. The doctor was also very helpful. – DH

I visited the GP in the last few weeks concerning my two sons and they were seen by Dr Francis. Dr Francis is a wonderful, kind, comforting, understanding and professional doctor, I highly recommend seeing him. – LL

I saw nurse Sarah this morning. She was amazing. Brilliant helpful and understanding. Explained everything, gave advice and tips. Best medical person I've seen for a while. I wish I could have her as my first medical person to see instead of having to see different doctors everytime. – SS [thank you for your feedback SS - we have had to hire locums due to currrent staffing difficulties beyond our control]

Saw Dr Marval this morning for a long standing issue with      . She was excellent, very thorough, took her time to explain things and I'm happy with the proposed next steps. Bright and cheery for first thing in the morning too! – SG

Dr Mohammed Hussain [locum Dr] is fabulous – DW

 

 

FINALLY...

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Hopefully we should be presenting a new festive issue of the newsletter shortly before Christmas. And with it, a welcome return to some dreadful Dad jokes.

We hope also to be in a position to bring you some positive news on recruitments.

Kind regards

Ivy Grove Surgery