I am visiting Bristol from California and, unfortunately, became ill during my visit. The walk-in…read morestaff were incredibly helpful! They were kind, courteous, and made me feel both welcome and cared for. The NP, Roger, was very friendly and helpful. It was a lovely experience to have given the unhappy circumstances. Thank you very much!

As far as I'm aware, no one actually likes going to the doctors. If you do then maybe that's…read moresomething you should see your GP about... Anyway, like I said, taking time out of your day to be poked and prodded is never fun but, for a doctors surgery, the Family Practice is a really great place to go and very relaxing. The Grade II listed building is the grandest surgery I've ever seen and its location in the residential area of Cotham means it's easy to find a parking space. The gardens are full of beautiful plants and lavender lines the walkway leading to the main entrance - whether or not it was a conscious decisions to have the calming smell of a herb to relax patients I don't know, but it certainly helps! Inside the main waiting room is at the front while the nurses' waiting room (where you would go for routine appointments or blood test etc) is round to the left. You can either sign in at the main reception or using the computer program at the front desk but be sure to note who your appointment is with as you need to make sure you're in the right waiting room. All the staff I have encountered has been friendly and professional and I would definitely recommend this place to anyone who lives in the area.

This medical centre is located in a converted primary school and consists of modern facilities:…read morelarge waiting room, consulting rooms, patient treatment areas and an on-site pharmacy (all located on the ground floor). There are 4 doctors: Dr. Paul Hepburn, Dr. Brian Adamson, Dr. Damian Cussen and Dr. Carole Buckley. The practice team includes: practice nurses, admin staff, health visitors, district nurses and midwife. They offer services and clinics in: health promotion & disease prevention, family planning, cervical smears, child health and minor surgery, stop smoking and counselling. The staff are very helpful and the doctors top-notch!

Hampton House Health centre is where you go when you're feeling poorly. The key to booking an…read moreappointment is to ring either first thing at 8.45 or at 2.00. Emergencies are handled differently and the centre offers a number of other services like Chlamydia screening, travel advice, blood tests and the like. The doctors are of course incredibly concerned for your health, but sometimes this verges on preaching; I have never been here without being asked, and then subsequently told off for my drink and smoking habits. However, they are consistently effective, treating any problem you may have. I would stress again the importance of booking appointments early to avoid being turned away.

If you find yourself living within the surgery's catchment area and are looking to register with a…read moresurgery, then Gaywood House Surgery is a safe bet to go for. My friend recently registered, and after he got over the hilarity of the surgery's name, he explained to me just how surprising the surgery is. On the outside it looks a little run down, in need of some TLC and is also situated underneath a giant tower block of flats. However inside the place is clean, the staff are friendly and it is a safe environment to be in - which feels strange after you have found yourself walking into the crypts of the block of flats. The surgery is also ideally placed for discretion, you can approach the surgery form North Street and get spotted by a number of people, but if you are cunning you can approach from one of the side streets where you will only be spotted by the surgeries token 'hang-about'!

Gaywood House surgery is located in the ground floor of Gaywood House on North Street, Bristol. Its…read morea big surgery with about 6 doctors, 2 or 3 nurses and a variety of regular clinics. In contrast with other NHS surgeries, its not too difficult to get an appointment to see the doctor, you can either ring up at 8.30 in the morning for an appointment that day (don't leave it any later though or all the appointment slots will have been taken) or you can book for some late afternoon appointments in advance. If you wish to see a particular doctor you may have to wait a couple of weeks for the exact date and time you want but if you are ill, they wil always see you. The receptionists are always really friendly and helpful.

I was seen by ANP Anna. I haven't visited the surgery for years and I must say I was so impressed…read moreby Anna. She was kind and thoughtful. I could tell that she genuinely had my best interests at heart. Anna advised the steps I should take to alleviate my horrific ear pain, like drink water, consider decongestants, use pain relief and only if these methods were unsuccessful should I take antibiotics.

Since merging with 3 other surgeries to form Bridge View Medical it has been nothing short of…read moreatrocious. The phone lines now one number for all 4 surgeries, open at 0830 and are immediately at full capacity. if you eventually get through after many redials you are 40th in the queue. If you don't have a life and are prepared to wait between 1.45 to 2.5 hours you will finally speak to someone, to be told surprisingly that all appointments are gone. If you are lucky enough to get an appointment it is likely to be with a nurse practitioner or pharmacist. The receptionists seem to have to ok every symptom against a check list before telling you you are not an urgent case and to use the e-consult, which is only available 0830 -1100 and 1700-1830. e-consult is a tick box exercise with the added bonus of being able to describe you symptoms, only to be told at the end of the "consultation" that it cant help and you have to seek medical advice !! This has been my practice for almost 40 years but have lost confidence in it. I would change but all the other local GPs are now part of said Bridge View Medical and therefore just as bad.

This NHS walk in centre is a really friendly one. The nurses that you see, from the front desk up…read moreto the ones who chat to you about your health issues are simply so friendly and nice to you. It's location is pretty secluded, and unless you know where it is already, you wouldn't even know that there was an NHS centre right smack in the middle of town. A walk in centre to keep in mind if you ever feel ill and can't get a quick appointment with your GP.

Hurrah for the NHS! It's not perfect, but what is!? Just think you could be stuck in the US without…read morehealth insurance and without a job and fat. This walk-in centre is as close to a community clinic as we get in this country and I am proud to live somewhere that makes this kind of readily-available medical treatment accessible to all regardless of how much you earn and who you work for. Right that's my little rant over...for now...but this walk in centre was specifically brilliant for me in my first year of Uni, as like most students I didn't register with a doctor (I didn't even know where or how to do that) so for all those minor first year university student ailments (the plague and my chronic rhinotillexomania) I would have to visit the brilliant people here. Obviously I would recommend you register with a GP but it is a very handy place to know about if you are just moving to B-town (that's Bristol fool!).

Sussex Place Surgery is a tiny doctor's squashed into the belly of a skinny house on a busy road…read more It's future is also under threat after the practice doctor retired and the NHS arranged for Frendoc to take over its interim contract. Patients are currently being asked if they mind being switched to other surgeries or would prefer a new GP be recruited to take on the practice. I really hope the latter is the case. Although the facilities are admittedly squashed, I have always found the practice to be well run and the staff friendly and discreet. Appointments are given promptly and each morning's open surgery is extremely well-run. And the practice nurse is extremely friendly. I found Dr Thompson a supportive and efficient GP when she was there and most of the GPs standing in have been good. The practice also arranges for prescriptions to be sent to certain local pharmacies to be picked up, and they always respond to answer phone messages promptly.