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GP surgery - how does it work? - Toby (12th Aug 2025  12:33:24) Thinking of moving to Liphook and I was wondering what the GP surgery is like. One of us has some very complex medical needs and needs doctor appointments regularly, but like many our current surgery is struggling with staffing. It seems like the Swan Group have the monopoly on GP practices around Liphook, but how do things work in reality? Things like: 1. Can you book non-urgent appointments in advance, or is everything via a 'triage' system? Do you have to sit in a phone queue at 8am or can you call at other times / book online? How long do you usually have to wait for an non-urgent appointment? 2. For urgent stuff, how does the process work? Is it an 8am phone queue or any other way to request an appointment? 3. Can you book a non-urgent appointment with a specific doctor? How long in the future do you typically have to wait to see them? Do they often 'run out' of appointments (eg this month is fully booked but they haven't set the roster for next month yet, you need to call back in 4 weeks to find the next roster is full)? 4. Is there any way to communicate with doctors other than booking appointments? Can you send a message - eg if you need to adjust a prescription or to chase up a referral? 5. When they inevitably mess up the prescriptions and it's urgent (you've run out of something critical) how easy/rapid is it to get someone to sort it out? 6. For hospital stuff, where do they usually refer? Or do you get to choose (Guildford, Portsmouth, Frimley, ...?) Thanks!

Re: GP surgery - how does it work? - D (12th Aug 2025  13:07:01) Excellent surgery, given the amount of demands placed on surgeries mistakes are bound to happen. If you feel they are going to "inevitably mess up prescriptions" then maybe you should go elsewhere. Go private perhaps. Always worth remembering you need them more than they need you.

Re: GP surgery - how does it work? - Gr (12th Aug 2025  13:15:40) Been using for over 50 years I have found them helpful . Appt phone at 8 use call back option always works just remember they get 100s of call to deal with a day some take time. Just been in to book nurses appt 2 weeks time , dad book flu and covid jabs plus another injection. You could get sent to one of surgerys not always your own preferred depending on what appts available. If you are kind and courteous it goes along way i think. Hospital we prefer guildford but could be another depends once again on where has appt or best treatment. QA has been very good to us lately as well as st marys. Had scans xray haslemere or milford or guildford. Nhs app doesnt work well no messaging but easy for test result script re order etc. You will always get some who moan they seem to shout louder?

Re: GP surgery - how does it work? - Luisa (12th Aug 2025  14:40:10) Based on my medical experience in Liphook, it is not the place for you. I wish it were otherwise. Hopefully others will have more positive feedback to share.

Re: GP surgery - how does it work? - Peter Rowan (12th Aug 2025  15:25:51) The NHS is broken - I don't think it matters where you live. I have had a few very good and a lot of very bad experiences, it seems to be who you get. I have a life disabling and incurable condition - the last time I saw my consultant at the Royal Surrey for a yearly review my appointment lasted all of four minutes. He didn't even examine me. He asked me if it was effecting my employment - I told him I am 74 read my notes ...... Rant over .....

Re: GP surgery - how does it work? - D (12th Aug 2025  18:28:27) This unprecedented praise and admiration of the N.H.S. during the COVID lockdowns didn't take long to fizzle out. What a fickle society we are.

Re: GP surgery - how does it work? - M (12th Aug 2025  21:20:57) I would echo Peter's response, it's been the same for me. Appts are few and far between with very little time for a consultation. All very disappointing in comparison to what it was. Of course as others have said you could go private, otherwise it's not good. Its not acceptable because as you mentioned Swan have a monopoly and so unless you are prepared to go private it probably won't meet your needs.

Re: GP surgery - how does it work? - Eco (13th Aug 2025  09:12:35) Two surgeries in Liphook but they'll make you go to Liss or Petersfield for an appointment. Monopolies on doctor's surgeries should not be allowed.

Re: GP surgery - how does it work? - Susie (13th Aug 2025  12:59:58) To put it succinctly - not very well. Haven't been able to easily access appointments for years. What does seem to work well is the small community hospitals. I've experienced both Petersfield & Haslemere, the former provide some out of hours service & staff were pleasant and efficient at both, with not much waiting time. That's the result of not being able to access GP appointments.....

Re: GP surgery - how does it work? - k (15th Aug 2025  11:08:44) Haven't seen a Doctor since before COVID - just get emails asking to use equipment I don't have to send information for my asthma & blood pressure for monitoring. Infra- structure can't cope with the amount of people in a supposed Village.

Re: GP surgery - how does it work? - Mary W (15th Aug 2025  20:57:38) My experience of the Station Road branch is extremely positive. I’ve never had any problems in getting a doctor to phone me back the same day and you can ask to see the doctor and if they feel that would be a good idea they will probably let you come quite quickly. I think they are punctilious in investigations of symptoms, but you do have to be reasonable with them understand that they’ve got 3000 patients each and these days most of them seem to be sick as far as I can see! A doctor at the Liss surgery probably saved my husband‘s life by taking his symptoms seriously. He was ill and did eventually die. But they gave him many months of reasonable extra life as a result of the prompt action of the doctor. As another poster says, you can choose which hospital if you make it clear that you can’t get to the QA for example, or not easily at any rate, then they will try to get you in at Guildford or Frimley, all excellent hospitals. Our Voluntary care Group is great for transporting patients for their hospital appointments and they have a terrific team of Voluntary drivers who give up their time unstintingly. When I talk to people listed with other surgeries around Liphook I haven’t found anyone who’s had a better experience of doctors than I have.

Re: GP surgery - how does it work? - Charlie (16th Aug 2025  10:14:56) I think the service you get from surgeries varies from surgery to surgery. I have a friend who lives in Headley and he says that the service from Grayshott Surgery is very good where as Badgerswood's service is very poor. With regard to hospitals I think the main problem is that we are an ageing population and this puts a great deal of pressure on the NHS. In addition as science progresses and more and more ways are being discovered of curing illnesses and prolonging life this also adds to the burden for the NHS. Before anyone responds by saying that the implication of that statement is possibly to recommend euthanasia I will pre-empt by saying no, that is not what I mean. I am just stating facts

Re: GP surgery - how does it work? - Anon (16th Aug 2025  16:53:30) Mary W - I read your posting with obvious sadness. I have posted under my own name before here on this topic but decided to remain anonymous today - who knows who is watching .... Registered at Grayshott Surgery for forty + years I currently have a very good GP and have done in the past, but some have been worse than dire - At one stage with disabling joint pains I was told you have gout. Really - not so Google ( four clicks from death ) suggested Psoriatic Arthritis, which it turned out to be. Probably would have preferred the former. The doctor was more interested in my blood pressure which I was not - to which I replied I am not here for that. His response - You will be sorry when you have a heart attack ..... Fabulous ... NHS Broken

Re: GP surgery - how does it work? - D (17th Aug 2025  08:52:44) Anon, one guaranteed way of incurring any medical professionals displeasure is to quote what Dr. Google says. My own experience of the NHS and our surgery is excellent. Anyone who says the nhs is broken really are looking at it from a very narrow perspective. Typical Liphook public sector bashing.

Re: GP surgery - how does it work? - Anon (17th Aug 2025  17:20:12) D I did not quote Google to my GP - just used it to discover what was actually wrong. I do not live in Liphook so am not Liphook bashing, whatever that might be. The NHS is broken - not just my opinion but also friends who work in it .... and my own and many others I know, experience.

Re: GP surgery - how does it work? - Finchie (18th Aug 2025  10:01:29) OK. Be prepared to be shooketh. Hope you are all sitting down… Massive improvement from my perspective ! Simply because Swan have many more doctors and nurses on their books. Also I like their process. So yes, if it relatively urgent, you may need to pop down to Liss. And last couple of times I have been seen on the same day. That never happened before- much as I loved the personal touch at Station Road prior to the acquisition / merger. Follow the process !!!! - phone at 8am - press the button on the phone that gives you a call back - expect a nurse to call back and capture information that morning - for some they deem relatively urgent expect to speak to a doctor on the same day - they’ll assess you, and if urgent you may well see someone that afternoon Also, never be late (ie clarify which Liss surgery you have been invited to !!!) ! Ruthlessly efficient and a great process. Only negative, is you do need a car, or to hop on a train if diverted to Liss. Have a great week. Finchie

Re: GP surgery - how does it work? - D (18th Aug 2025  12:47:33) I think you've hit the nail on the head, Finchie, "follow the process". I phoned the surgery recently to ask if they could see me that day. A nurse phoned back half hour later, gave me valuable advice, no need to go to the surgery after all. Far better for them and far better for me. Regarding going to Liss or Petersfield, surely that's a small price to pay if you want an appointment that day? Excellent surgery, excellent NHS (have I said that already? I don't think i have).

Re: GP surgery - how does it work? - Charlie (18th Aug 2025  13:22:15) Anon Am I missing something? What was it about Mary W's post that you found depressing. I found her post to be an excellent and positive one. I echo the sentiments in that post and also D's and Finchie's posts. We are so so lucky with Grayshott Surgery. I have always made a point of being extremely polite and patient when dealing the people who are in the "front line". So many times I have witnessed members of the public berating the staff behind the desk for something which is not their fault. I have a condition that needs to be monitored and I have received excellent service both from Grayshott Surgery and The Royal Surrey. I have nothing but praise for the staff and doctors at Grayshott Surgery.

Re: GP surgery - how does it work? - Anon (18th Aug 2025  15:41:51) Charlie, Yes you are missing something - Sad and Depressed are two words with very different meanings .....

Re: GP surgery - how does it work? - Charlie (21st Aug 2025  15:09:38) Anon Synonyms are words or phrases that have the same or very similar meanings. One of the synonyms for "sad" is "depressed" so please do not split hairs with me. However I will put a direct question to you. Why do you feel sad that Mary W had a positive response with the NHS? I find her post positive and encouraging. I certainly do not feel sad that someone has had a good experience with our NHS. In the past I too have experienced poor service from the NHS so I am doubly pleased that someone has had a good service. I am sure our nurses and doctors do their very best in sometimes extremely difficult situations and I would add that I am careful never ever to blame or castigate the person who is on the front line which these days happens all too often. I have been a witness to this on more than one occasion and it is inexcusable.

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