St John's Medical Practice

I came to Sevenoaks 13 years ago and registered at this surgery. The service, starting with receptionists right through to doctors was superb. I would have recommended them to anyone. Now, however the service is virtually non existent. I can't see a doctor, phone appointment only and there's at least a two week wait for that. How can the doctor check my heart or chest over a phone? The covid pandemic is not an excuse, it was moving this way long before the outbreak. It feels like a never ending battle to get my prescriptions organised. Letters from hospitals seem to go missing on a regular basis. Waiting for a doctor to sign a prescription can and has, taken a week. When I asked why the 'prescription lady' told me there's a lack of doctors. Only locums. Apparently the doctors have gone to other surgeries. Like rats leaving a sinking ship. I think I'll join them. DO NOT SIGN UP HERE

The online registration doesn't seem to be functional. You have to visit the GP to register. Once you are register and you can create an online account using a provider like Patient access, but still you won't be able to access any test results online. That feature is not enabled by the GP.

Initially I had to wait in the line for around 1 hour 30 mins to make an enquiry but the call got dropped in the end. Not sure if this is something wrong with their phone system.

Also, taking same day appointments is really difficult and you need to be lucky to get one. We managed to get one on the third attempt only to get a telephonic one. However this has improved in the subsequent bookings. The key is to make the call exactly at 8 am.

Yet to see a doctor face to face and I will update my review. When I visited the surgery for registering, the lady at the reception was really helpful.

If there is a prescription medication and you are doing it at the GP form instead of using the online account, please do it at least a week before. Might be a good idea to ring the reception to follow up.

Updated Review

Visited the doctor for 6-8 week appointment for the baby. Finally got a chance to meet the doctor and it was very good experience. She spent a real good time for the consultation and we were extremely happy.

From travel vaccinations to routine appointments I’ve visited the practice on several occasions over the last few months and can only say the experience has been excellent. Antonella and Jane are warm, friendly and very efficient, can usually get an appointment within 10 days for non-urgent or same day if urgent. Maybe things were better in a mythical past but hard pressed to find a GP surgery offering much better at present when stretched.

Have had very good telephone appointments that were on time for things that don’t need to be seen in person and effective, on time in-person appointments.

I’d read the reviews before moving into the area and St. John’s was one of the few places accepting patients, naturally was a bit concerned. The reality is on recent experience, this is a very good GP practice where you CAN get an appointment. Unrealistic expectations of a stretched service do not provide a representative view of the practice.

After waiting over 1 hour 30 mins on the phone to get to talk to someone it disconnected , so decided to go there in person to make an appointment for my 82 year old mother who is fragile losing weight not sleeping and is very sick and needs to see a Dr. The receptionist told me 10th September no where near quick enough , or I can phone back at 8am in the morning to wait 1 or more hours waiting for an answer. Bearing in mind the surgery had 1 person in the waiting room , the level of care is just not there receptionist was quite rude and uncaring.

Update: called the prescription line this morning because my prescription details haven't been updated and I've been unable to get my medicine for several months. Spent 22 minutes on hold. When the phone was answered they said, I'll just transfer you to the relevant department and then hung the phone up. I'm so angry. Tried to call back and am now 8th in the que. Took 22 mins when I was 5th.... this is an absolute joke

Called in the afternoon for an appointment and was asked to call at 8am the following day, so I did as requested. 15 callers in the que ahead of me, not a problem, I’ll hold. Waited for 40 minutes to become number 5 in the que, then all of a sudden the call is answered. There seems to be a commotion at the other end. “I’m terribly sorry, but I knocked the phone by accident, I’m not on reception, I can’t help you, I’m not near a computer that works, you’ll need to call back but the appointments have probably all gone by now,” I replied that we have been trying to register with them for the past 3 days and have been trying to get an appointment because my 8 year old son has trouble breathing, the uncaring reply was “I can’t help you, go to A&E at the hospital” I ask if this is the best that she can do. She then transfers me to another line and the line rings off. I can’t express how frustrated and sad this makes me feel. If you can’t trust a doctor for care, help and support, who can you go to?

It is a real shame my family have been coming here for over 30 years, in the earlier days it was ok... now its so terrible you need a book to write everything about it. Do NOT go here if you want to live and don't want to die. It is by the far THE WORST GP practice in the UK... They didn't help my dad and didn't look after him in time so he died will never forgive or forget that. It doesn't deserve a single star in the world. Fed up of complaining they don't do anything, they lie out their teeth. They mess our medication up so so so many times, give the wrong one, missing prescriptions, say they sent it and haven't, wrong dose, don't explain things, even had to call 999 and 111 and minor injuries and out of hours doctors so many times because they are so unhelpful... It's like trying to pull blood from a stone...They say they'll call they do not. The list goes on and on.

I have no reason to lie about it and nothing to gain from lying either, most if not all of my family, friends and relatives have left here to go to other surgeries. Social services and ambulance crews also told us to leave the surgery and find another one... Trust me they don't say it lightly either!

Credit where credit is due... I've noticed a dramatic improvement in this Practice over the last few months. There seems to be better availability of appointments and the repeat prescription system is working efficiently and very quickly. Although the reception staff are clearly busy, they take time to help with issues and follow through with any requests or actions. A big thank you to Antonella who has helped me consistently in getting my elder family member the help they need.

I know all practices are under pressure but at the moment i'd have no hesitation in recommending St Johns. Well Done!

Been caller number 3 for over 40 minutes. Still waiting. If you stay on hold when it becomes lunch they then hang up as they are closed.
I am very conscious this will happen this time.