Swan Surgery

If I try to use Anima for the online appointments my experience is that it is closed at 10 o'clock. We are discouraged to ring up so what do you do? Sadly you cannot request a specific GP online which is rather frustrating because if I was to see a female GP for Gyne issues this cannot be done. I recently had a medication review I was quite a way into the phone conversation thinking I was actually talking with a GP when it became apparent that I was in fact talking with a pharmacist which again I was rather perplexed about. I feel concerned that when I specifically request that I am booked in to see a GP I am seen by a nurse practitioner, it seems you can no longer get to see who you request anymore.

Anima always full so can’t take anymore appointments. If you ring told we’re not taking anymore appointments phone back tomorrow!!

I have recently moved to the area and find every aspect of the practice is excellent except the Anima app which is an additional stress when trying to get advice or an appointment. My old surgery had an online system and it was very straightforward. This app lets the whole thing down I’m afraid.

Booked an appointment just past 08:00 via anima. Was easy to do and said the outcome was a phone call by the doctor in the morning. After waiting until 13:00 with no word I rang the reception to find out if there was a problem. Receptionist was unapologetic, bordering on dismissive and said “the doctor is working through the phone calls”.

I understand it gets busy and things happen but if you are using an online service you should communicate with your patients better as if they are there in front of you. If I was in the reception and there was a delay in seeing the doctor you could easily communicate by putting a sign up or tell people as they arrive and the same should be done for people at home. If you communicate better it would save people wondering and becoming frustrated with the uncertainty. Most people are reasonable and will understand if there is an issue but only if they are told about it. Just because it is a GP practice it doesn’t absolve you of having to have good basic customer service. Patients often get inundated with messages that tell them to be kind, be patient and not to be rude and rightly so. But maybe if you communicated better people wouldn’t become frustrated and then be rude

The Anima system for booking an appointment is not fit for purpose. I have been trying to book a non-urgent appointment for weeks. I understand the need to book online, but to be repeatedly told that the system can accept no further requests by mid-afternoon, when allegedly, the system is open between 04:00 and 18:30 is not only frustrating, but means that I continue to experience the pain I am trying to make an appointment for. Who authorised this useless system? How much is it costing the NHS? No wonder people end up in A&E in desperation. I simply want to make an appointment for a week or two hence. Why is this so hard? I called the receptionist to make a routine health screening appointment last month, because I couldn't get through on Anima, and received short-shrift from her. No doubt her job would be easier if the system designed to free her from making appointments actually did it's job. When I arrived for that appointment, the computer checking people in was broken, so there was a queue of people waiting for attention from the one receptionist. Somebody stuck his head around the corner from behind the desk, looked at the queue and walked away. The nurse I saw was kind and professional, but it was an ordeal to get that far.

Instead of calling reception at 8.30 Anima advises we are not accepting any more requests today, you can next try 4am! Anima asks endless questions and sometimes breaks down half way through while the ever present clock ticks down till you are timed out.

The clinical services are top class but the appointment booking system is for the benefit of the surgery, not the patients

Using the anima app I had a reply in less than an hour, and then was able to book an appointment directly via the app. Worked brilliantly. Then saw a GP who was just great. Thank you.

Every patient has to log online to access Swan Surgery. The settings implied by Swan are not in the best interests of their patients. If the quota has reached the maximum for the day, which can be anytime from 4am onwards, then you are unable to book an appointment, send a request etc., and you then have to wait until 4am the next day.

The anima e consult service is extremely poor. Having tried to obtain an appointment after spending a ridiculous amount of time entering symptoms etc, I then receive a text telling me I had been given an appointment. Unfortunately I was unable to take this appointment so the only option was to press 'other' thinking I may be offered a different time. My appointment was cancelled and I had to start the whole process again ??? I eventually got an appointment by ringing the surgery and when I attended there were about 2 patients waiting??? What on earth has happened to this surgery?? The reception staff are very polite and very sweet, but this system is ridiculous and if you are not computer or i phone literate you do not stand a chance. I feel very sorry for elderly people who do not have the necessary skills to operate this system! This used to be a lovely efficient practice . So very disappointing.