The Vale Practice

Over the past year the Vale Practice has been absolutely brilliant. The reception staff are friendly and always going above and beyond to help me. I am under the care of Dr Barry, I finally feel listened to. She is warm, kind and incredibly professional. As someone who hasn’t had the best experience with GP surgeries, it’s both a relief and joy to be a patient somewhere that excels in care.

Excellent practice. The doctors are great and the nurse is wonderful - she always runs on time and is knowledgeable and efficient. Highly recommend.

This is a brilliant practice. I am a GP myself and am so impressed; they always get my son in for a same day appointment when he's ill, the docs have been really pro-active in chasing up specialists to resolve queries (thanks Dr Bloom!), receptionists are polite and helpful, the nurse was lovely and communicated really clearly about why a particular treatment was needed, prescription requests are dealt with promptly.

Used to be the best surgery in Crouch End. Now, sadly this surgery has gone downhill since Sedaa has work there. She is unhelpful and rude.

I have a loss of confidence in the surgery now in the ability to 1) deal with such important information with integrity 2) fulfil on what patients request.

Utter incompetence and negligence - over 25 minutes on the phone - this would have not only wasted my time (and money) but also other patients trying to get through.

Still has one extra start for the fabulous GP's and other reception staff that work there.

This has been reported to NHS England.

PS - Sedaa should not be training ANYONE

**You'll see from the surgeries irresponsible response below as to why staff are not being held to account appropriately - fortunately we have governing bodies in the public sector to protect patients. One star for this surgery.

It’s not often that I leave a review after visiting somewhere and even rarer that I do regarding a general practice, but after the brief consultation that I had over the phone this morning I felt that I absolutely needed to praise Dr. Giles in particular for her patience, care, empathy and just general willingness to help me. I am aware that empathy is probably a counterproductive trait for NHS doctors to have and they need to be impartial and at times cold but that more often than not makes me feel as though I am somehow bothering them or ruining their day by telling them about an illness that’s inexplicably causing me to vomit and not go to the toilet like a normal person for over a month. I’ve had so many run ins with doctors (Dr. Cowan being another exception) where it feels as though they want to get me out of the room as quickly as possible and that any worries or requests that I have are the stupid ill-informed rantings of mouth breathing idiot. And I won’t even go into how rude certain receptionists answering the phone can be.

Dr. Giles on the other hand was a breathe of fresh air and reminded me that seeking medical assistance can actually be a pleasant experience with a GP that’s patient and understanding that can point you in the right direction and assuage your concerns whilst at the same time being realistic about possible options. I know it’s not possible but had every GP I met been as professional and thoughtful as she was this would be a five star review.

I can’t thank you enough Dr. Giles.

I've been going to this practice since it opened, and have never had anything but excellent care. I'm complicated too - lots of issues, and a chronic disease that has a mind of its own. When my regular GP left, I wasn't sure what to expect, but the care has been just as good, and the new doctors are as brilliant as their predecessors - at least, that has been my experience, and I probably use and test them more than most. Also, and very importantly, the staff on reception are always excellent. Not the stroppy harridans you hear about from people frightened of their own surgeries. It makes a world of difference to be treated kindly, and listened to, from the moment you go in the door. When we moved home recently, a huge part of where we would go was that we remain in the catchment area for The Vale. Some things are too precious to lose.

I've been with this practice for 15 + years, and can't praise them enough. Yes you have to phone them at 8.30am for an appointment, but they assess you fairly, and you will always get a call back from the doctor if needed. I can't imagine the pressures that GP practices are facing at the moment, but their system at least allows those most in need of treatment to speak to a doctor.

When I first arrived in the area 2 years ago, I thought the practice was great! Over time, I have experienced time and again of having to wait far too long during what should be the emergency appointment line to book a regular appointment. There's now a shocking lack of care. Yes, there are some doctors and receptionists who care, but the chances of you getting through are slim! This is the only practice that I know of that is only an appointment on the day, though I'm sure it's not the only one.

I have also had personal experience of over of the doctors saying to me that he doesn't think that I have a condition that I clearly do. That day, he left me in absolute bits. I literally had it in my head that I had 2 brain surgery for nothing!
I have also witnessed another instance of another doctor at the surgery who arranges for the same tests to be done for what seems to be for the sake of it - it wouldn't surprise me if it was a case of ticking boxes. Why on earth do I pay my taxes?!

I'm not exactly enthused and I'm sure I'm not the only one.