Higher Heys Surgery

Myself and wife Roma always get well looked after by all the Doctors at this Practice and the reception staff. I phoned at 8am and got an appointment for 9.20am same day to see Dr Bhat Senior always a friendly polite helpful doctor treated me over many years. The same goes for his daughter Dr Alya Bhat and locum Dr Pervez Mussaffer. Many thanks for all your help.

I attended the surgery to visit the health visitor ( Thursday between 11-12). I can honestly say that this is the best professional that I have been to! I am a new mum and I’m constantly worrying about whether I am doing things right or not. The lady reassured me and answered all of my questions, without making me feel like I am taking too long. This was important for me becasue I didn’t have contact with my health visitor. She gave me all the right leaflets, amazing advice and my baby was calm around her! I have attended other clinics before but I can safely say this is my go to for advice about my baby. I regret not asking the lady’s name :(. Thank you

Outstanding GP!
I moved to Oswaldtwistle in 2016 and as a former nurse I was nervous about which GP practice to register at.
I had several recommendations for Dr Bhat from friends who still work locally in the NHS so that made the decision for me.
Dr Bhat has really impressed me on every occasion I or my daughter have needed to be seen. She is like what doctors used to be 20 years ago. Caring. Thorough , and no matter the obvious pressures in the waiting room etc never makes you feel unheard or rushed.
I have also on occasion needed to be seen by Ann the practice nurse and the high standards are just as apparent with her care.
On isolated incidents I have had frustration with the reception/admin staff but I don’t mind persevering when the medical care and expertise is so outstanding.
Dr Bhat is a rare treasure in today’s NHS. Oswaldtwistle is lucky to have her.

Been going since I was a baby. Lovely, friendly staff

Doctor Bhatt is a fantastic doctor, extremely caring and goes the extra mile to help and listen. Nurse Dean is lovely and really good at putting you at your ease. I have been a patient at this surgery since moving to Oswaldtwistle over 20 years ago and have always had excellent service and support. I always recommend this practice when anyone is looking for a new doctors.

1 of if not the best Doctor I have ever seen or had....
Mrs Bhatt is so kind warm and understanding and is really professional
Unlike other Doctors , Doctor Bhatt actually takes the time to listening
To the patients that she sees....
She doesn't listen for a couple of mins the just parm you off....
SHE CARES #BESTDOCEVER

I've heard a lot recently, people complaining about their GP practice - not me, this one should be commended.
Wonderful service 👏

The surgery used to be brilliant but the system they have in place at the moment just doesn't work for some people. Ringing up between 8-9 and only 1 position open online for appointments. I've been trying to get an appointment for months but not allowed to use my phone until break 9.45. I don't know whether it's tendinitis or something else going on in my arm. I've been using a tube bandage and ibuprofen gel but now struggling with bending and straightening my arm and I can't afford to take time off.

I can hardly ever get appointments. I work and only get paid 1 hour for medical. It takes me 30 min to get to docs and 30 min back not including waiting time and appointment time so the walk in sessions are a no go unless I'm off. Waiting 2 weeks for an appointment is unacceptable. I'm thinking of moving to surgery with more docs available because at the end of the day I don't care who sees me as long as I'm seen. I've had loads of appointments when Dr Bhat has been on holiday because hardly anybody wants to see the locums they would rather wait until she's back, which tells me they couldn't have been that bad in the first place.

I would give five stars for the doctor but the two star rating I have given is for the new telephone system. This morning I spent three quarters of an hour on the phone till I got to "number one in the queue"' I then waited for another fifteen minutes and had to end the call as it seemed I was never going to get through. I rang again in the afternoon and waited again for around another three quarters of an hour till successfully getting through. I was working at the time so it was very frustrating. I'm sure a lot of people will be upset with this system as it will be adding a lot on to phone bills. A dedicated person is needed purely for phone service to assist receptionist and give a better customer service

Rude reception staff

Great GP l, couldn’t speak higher of her but the rest of the surgery has gone down hill massively, not sure there’s even a practice manager so the surgery is run (from my understanding) by a GP, receptionists are rude 70% of the time, can only get an appointment if you ring at between 8am & 9am but no guarantees, you can’t book an appointment for in the future. Midwives we saw we’re odd & acted like she was from war time. Avoid like covid.

I am on propondol for mental health issues besides ringing and talking to rude receptionists and being fobbed off with no straight answer I find this extremely frustrating. Dr bhat has always been a good doctor but the past year or so my prescriptions have never been at the chemist for when I run out of medication. My medication has severe side effects one of them being heart attack!!!
I was on mitrazipine for a year or so and that was also the same issue I had to go without them some days or full weekends and it sent me over the edge even more.
This makes my mental health 10x worse and I'm getting sick of starting medication to help me then being left with none, even after ringing up 3 times explaining they are running out and I need another box. They say Yeah that's fine your prescription will be there tomorrow.... And it never is.
Even the pharmacist said to me he's forever chasing this surgery up for people for the exact same reason. I'm pretty tempted to fill out a registration elsewhere.
Also your receptionist Emily is extremely hostile and rude on the phone. Forever being fobbed off its getting beyond a joke now.
I have downloaded an app to request my medication if this doesn't work I will be registering elsewhere as I'm sick of it.
It's making my mental health worse.

I absolutely love Dr Aliya Bhat and I apologise for my low rating. If it was for her only she would get a full 5 STARS.
However, I have to knock stars off due to the ones on reception. Myself and other patients, find them to be extremely rude and not helpful in the slightest.
My sister has recently asked for an appointment, as she works full time its very difficult for her to fit things in. She required a repeat prescription of NEEDED medication, which was refused by the receptionist when the Chemist phoned on her behalf, as APPARENTLY she hadn't had a repeat prescription for a month. If the receptionist had checked my sisters file, she would have seen that she get 2 months supply at a time!!!!
This is one of many issues ive had with those on reception and it has been a problem with this surgery for many years.
Aliya is the ONLY reason we stay patients here!!!

Mum passed away February of last year, prior to her passing the family were lead to believe that mum was being treated for heart failure. The last 2 weeks of her life, while still under Dr A Bhats care, mum was struggling to breathe, she was sent for a chest X-ray, Dr Bhat said there was 2 lesions on her lung, so she was then sent for an ct scan. Whilst waiting for the results of the scan, mum got worse so we as a family rang the Macmillan nurses for help, as we hadn't heard anything back from the doctors about her results.

It was Monday 27th February and the Macmillan nurse came to see mum, upon looking at mum, she informed us that mum was very poorly, as she had seen the results and we were told to get the family round as she had a massive tumour on her lung, and had only hours to live, and consequently passed away that night. We had no idea at all how bad mum was, it took a Macmillan nurse to tell us, and if hadn't been for us getting in touch with them, wouldn't have had any idea at all.

The undertaker arranged the funeral for Monday 6th March, he told us to go and register the death, we were then told by the undertaker and the corners office that, because mum had passed away with lung cancer, Dr A Bhat should have informed the corners office of the cause of her passing, but failed to do so, which then lead to the undertaker not being able to prepare mum for viewings.

This led to many family members upset, as mum was left until Friday 3rd March in the afternoon before she could be prepared for viewing, which then only gave the family 6 hours viewing before the funeral.

We as a family feel that Dr A Bhat let mum down, during her care and after her passing.

Following recent blood tests at the hospital, all results were sent to Dr A Bhat, as well as myself. Results showed an iron deficiency and suggested iron replacement and further investigation for underlying cause. Dr A Bhat did not act on this, and the results was sent for scanning upstairs and no further action taken. I had to phone the surgery on two occasions questioning why no prescription or medication was being prescribed for iron deficiency as stated in the results from the hospital. Only after this did a prescription then get sent to the chemist. If I had not requested a copy of the blood results and continue to question Dr A Bhat’s decision then the anaemia would have been left untreated!
The reason I always request copies of any correspondence from consultants/specialists to GP is that this has happened previously in the past, I was not informed about increasing doseages of meds following tests/appointments at the hospital.