THE best and worst GP surgeries in Malvern according to patients have been revealed as part of an annual NHS survey.

Whiteacres Medical Centre in Maple Road in Malvern was ranked as the best taking the highest marks for overall experience as well as having some of the most helpful staff and for being the easiest surgery to get through to on the phone.

Malvern Health Centre scored the lowest for overall experience with more than a quarter saying they did not have a good experience.

Around 95 per cent of respondents said they had a good experience at New Court Surgery with 90 per cent saying the same for St Saviours Surgery in Merick Road.

The figures come from the NHS’s annual GP Patient Survey which reveals how Malvern’s doctors’ surgeries were rated between January and March – just weeks before the town went into lockdown because of the coronavirus.

Residents were asked for their opinion on a variety of elements with practices, from booking appointments, waiting times, out-of-hours services and the quality of care given.

More than 98 per cent of patients who filled out the survey said they had a ‘good’ experience at the Maple Road surgery with two-thirds of respondents saying they had a ‘very good’ experience.

Whiteacres Medical Centre was also the easiest to contact with 83 per cent of people saying it was ‘easy’ compared to 78 per cent at New Court Road Surgery.

However, more than half of patients responding to the survey said it was not easy to contact St Saviours Surgery and 60 per cent at Malvern Health Centre also said it was difficult.

The results of the survey showed 98 per cent of respondents said New Court Road Surgery had the most helpful receptionists followed by 96 per cent at Whiteacres Medical Centre, 89 per cent at Malvern Health Centre and 86 per cent at St Saviours Surgery.

Almost all respondents said they continued to have ‘trust and confidence’ in GPs based on their last appointment with every surgery scoring 98 per cent or above.

Whiteacres Medical Centre scored full marks with New Court Road Surgery scoring 98 per cent, Malvern Health Centre scoring 97 per cent and St Saviours Surgery scoring 96 per cent.

The survey said 98 per cent of people said staff at New Court Surgery were helpful – the highest amongst Malvern’s doctors’ surgeries. 96 per cent and 95 per cent of respondents said staff were helpful at Whiteacres Medical Centre and St Saviours Surgery respectively with 89 per cent saying staff were helpful at Malvern Medical Centre.

Results also showed patients at St Saviours Surgery had the best experience when making an appointment with 82 per cent of people saying it was ‘good’ compared to 81 per cent at Whiteacres Medical Centre and 79 per cent at New Court Surgery.

More than half of people patients responding to the survey at Malvern Medical Centre said they did not have a good experience booking an appointment with more than a quarter saying it was ‘poor’ or ‘very poor’.

Half of the patients surveyed at New Court Surgery said they were able to get an appointment on the same day with 13 per cent saying they had to wait more than a week.

This was compared to 42 per cent who managed to secure a same-day appointment at Whiteacres Medical Centre and 40 per cent at Malvern Medical Centre. Less than a third of people said they got a same-day appointment at St Saviours Surgery.