💬 Listening to patient feedback, celebrating what works well and identifying where we can improve
At Shah Zaman Surgery, we believe that listening to our patients is one of the most important ways we can improve the care and services we provide.
Throughout the year, we actively invite feedback from patients who have contacted or used our services. Patients are given opportunities to share their experiences following interactions with the practice, and any reviews left on Google are published independently. This means the feedback we receive is open, unfiltered and reflects the genuine experiences of our patients.
⭐ Overall Google Rating (April 2025 – March 2026): 4.6 out of 5 stars
We are proud of this achievement, particularly given the large volume of patient reviews received during the year. However, we also recognise that every comment positive or negative provides valuable insight into how we can continue to improve.
🌟 What Patients Value Most About Our Practice
❤️ Compassionate Care and Clinicians Who Listen
The strongest message throughout patient feedback was the quality of care provided by our clinical team.
Patients frequently described doctors and clinicians as caring, professional and attentive. Many commented that they felt listened to, involved in decisions about their health and supported throughout their care journey.
Patients particularly valued consultations where concerns were fully explored, explanations were clear and treatment options were discussed in a way that helped them feel informed and reassured.
🤝 Friendly and Helpful Staff
Our reception and administrative teams received consistently positive feedback throughout the year.
Many patients highlighted the kindness, professionalism and willingness of staff to help. Whether supporting patients with appointments, providing guidance or assisting with enquiries, staff were often recognised for creating a welcoming and supportive environment.
We know that contacting a GP practice can sometimes be stressful, and it is encouraging to see that patients frequently recognised the efforts made by our team to provide assistance with empathy and respect.
👩⚕️ Professional Nursing Care
Patients regularly praised our nursing team for delivering care with professionalism, kindness and reassurance.
Feedback highlighted positive experiences during routine appointments, health checks, vaccinations and other nursing procedures. Many patients commented on feeling comfortable, informed and well cared for during their appointments.
🏡 Trust and Long-Term Relationships
Many reviews reflected the trust that patients have developed with the practice over time.
Patients spoke positively about continuity of care, long-standing relationships with clinicians and confidence in the advice and treatment they receive. These comments demonstrate the importance of building strong patient relationships and maintaining a personal approach to healthcare.
📈 What Patients Told Us We Can Improve
While the majority of reviews were positive, patients also identified areas where we can continue to improve. We welcome this feedback and use it to guide service development and quality improvement.
📅 Access to Appointments
The most common area of concern related to appointment availability.
Although many patients reported positive experiences when seeking appointments, some found it challenging to obtain routine appointments during busy periods. We recognise the frustration this can cause and remain committed to improving access wherever possible.
🎯 Our Focus for 2026/27
✅ Continue reviewing appointment capacity and utilisation
✅ Improve awareness of the different ways patients can access care
✅ Monitor patient feedback and demand trends to identify opportunities for improvement
📢 Communication Around Appointments
A small number of patients reported concerns relating to appointment changes, cancellations or communication regarding booking arrangements.
Although these comments represented a minority of reviews, we recognise the importance of keeping patients informed and minimising disruption whenever possible.
🎯 Our Focus for 2026/27
✅ Strengthen appointment reminder systems
✅ Improve communication when appointments need to be changed
✅ Continue developing digital communication tools to keep patients updated
💻📞 Accessing Services
Some patients commented on difficulties accessing services through telephone or online systems, particularly during busy periods.
As healthcare increasingly adopts digital solutions, we are mindful that patients have different preferences and varying levels of confidence when using technology.
🎯 Our Focus for 2026/27
✅ Review patient information available on our website
✅ Improve guidance on accessing the right service at the right time
✅ Continue supporting patients who prefer telephone or face-to-face contact
🏆 How Do We Compare?
Maintaining a Google rating of 4.6 out of 5 stars places Shah Zaman Surgery among the higher-rated GP practices across Birmingham and Solihull.
What makes this particularly meaningful is that our rating is based on feedback from hundreds of patient reviews. Sustaining a high rating across such a large volume of feedback provides a broad picture of patient experience and reflects the consistent efforts of our entire team.
🚀 Looking Ahead
We are incredibly grateful to every patient who took the time to share their experience with us during the year.
Patient feedback helps us celebrate what we are doing well, recognise the dedication of our staff and identify opportunities to improve. While we are pleased that many patients describe our practice as caring, supportive and professional, we know there is always more we can do.
Over the coming year, we will continue to focus on:
✅ Improving access to appointments
✅ Strengthening communication with patients
✅ Making it easier to access our services
✅ Maintaining the high standards of care our patients value
Thank you for helping us shape the future of Shah Zaman Surgery.
⭐ Overall Google Rating 2025/26: 4.6 out of 5 stars