Dulwich Medical Centre... bunch of ####s

[sack donger]

So I had an appointment today at 6:50pm. Due to a crap tube I was running late, I ended up arriving at 6:52pm.

"Sorry, we have a policy, if you are even one minute late for an appointment, you can't be seen and have to rebook."

ONE MINUTE!

I can understand that there has to be a cut off point for being late, but one minute! I can only imagine that the GPs who run this shambolic operation have introduced such a policy to avoid having to stay any longer at the surgery than they have to. Well very nice for them.

"Salaried GPs employed directly by PCTs earn between ?53249 to 80354, ..." According to the NHS careers website. (http://www.nhscareers.nhs.uk/details/Default.aspx?Id=553)

Well if you can't be bothered to stay an extra ten minutes or so at work to help ill people when you are paid that much, shame on you!

What a downright mean, nasty and oppressive policy this is, if any of the DMC gps are reading this you are a mean mean bunch of bastards.

[markyb3]

I've moved from DMC ... it started off as Drop in and wait which worked fine for me......it moved to a much more regimented appointment system and i could never get one when i wanted. Sounds like its got even worse.... Vote with your feet

[ryedalema]

There have been more than a few times when I've signed in using the electronic thing at the back, waited.....waited....waited. Eventually I've gone to the desk to ask why I've not been seen after 45 mins.

'Oh sorry, the nurse/doctor hasn't turned up yet'.

Ggggggrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.

[sophiesofa]

I can understand why they have this policy because it all has a knock on effect on the next appointments but seeing the time of day you went in they probably could have cut you a bit of slack. I'm a patient there and so far have been very impressed (apart from not being able to get through on the phone, but I think they all have the same problem).

[alice]

simple - move to the excellent 1 forest hill road practice - they have a ten minute limit

[Loz]

If you are going to vote with your feet, make sure you don't end up at Melbourne Grove.

[genwilliams]

I've found Melbourne Grove alright. Doctors so far have been decent and kindly... a couple of occasions where they've cancelled appointments on me, and the other day they rang me, then when I rang back, they couldn't tell me why they rang me (I get the impression the admin side isn't the hottest). But the doctors & nurses there have been way better than anyone I dealt with at my old clinic (not in East Dulwich).

[katie1997]

Sorry to hear you've had such a bad experience there.

I registered at DMC mainly as its convenient and I've had a very positive experience with them so far. I was apprehensive about it though as my previous surgery was so super-efficient, I doubted I'd be lucky enough to receive such good service again.

[jollybaby]

whilst a one minute cut off for being late for appointments does seem too strict . . . there do have to be measures to try keeping to time when you're running a system that relies on closely booked appointments like a GP surgery. A GP may have a patients booked every 10 minutes over a 3 hour period and so if every patient turns up late that has a huge knock on effect on the whole morning. Similarly if someone is unwell or comes with multiple problems that take longer to sort out than 10 minutes that often leads to clinics running late - and from my experience that is far more likely to be the cause of being kept waiting in a hospital/GP practice- not the doctor being late for work. (And yes the argument then is should GP appointments be longer than 10 minutes)

And as for saying that your GPs are are lazy and can't be a**ed to stay 10 minutes extra . . . bit harsh I'd be very surprised if your GP was leaving work on time every day . This policy is probably to protect them (and the admin and the nursing staff) having to work an hour late every day just because people can't be bothered to allow time for crap tube journeys- although I accept that a one minute cut off is too strict!

Love a p**ssed off doctor who has spent an extra 4 hours at work tonight and earns nowhere near ?80 000

[eater81]

They have a problem with answering the phones, also. There was a time last year when I was repeadedly calling in the morning to try to get an appointment, no answer. Most have called about 10 times in the space of half an hour.

I ended up having to trapse round there to see them in person. When I was talking to the receptionist I secretly called them on my mobile in my pocket to see what they would do with the resulting ringing phone. Guess what, it went completely ignored, dispite there being several people in the office behind the reception desk. Absolutely pathetic.

[ianr]

"Sorry, we have a policy, if you are even one minute late for an appointment, you can't be seen and have to rebook."

I don't suppose you have any idea whether you were _effectively_ late -- ie that a GP's time had been wasted waiting for you to come into the room when you weren't actually on the premises? I always arrive early for an appointment and can't remember a single instance of one actually starting at or before the appointed time.

[HonaloochieB]

I suspect sack donger, that the rules may be applied more stringently for late apppointments, though I don't know this for a fact.

I like the apoointment system, myself and prefer it to the old turn up and wait procedure.

I've had to do a fair bit of business with them recently and have had to wait past my appointment time, though 20 minutes was the longest and was apologised for, I've also had to spend quite a lot of time with a doctor on occasion, which probably had a knock on effect for other patients, but was glad of the time and care given to me.

Calling a local GP practice a bunch of c***s, no matter how annoyed you are with them is bloody disgraceful, and I bet you didn't say it to anyone's face.

Get around there tomorrow and see if anyone can prescribe something to cure you of being a monumental w*nker.

The latter is in lieu of making a complaint to Admin.

[Loz]

I've found Melbourne Grove alright. Doctors so far have been decent and kindly

Dr Johnson is terrific. The rest I won't comment upon.

[newbie09]

I have to be honest I have found them very helpful in the last 2 weeks after I had an operation - also I think the appointment system works great.

The nurses have all been brilliant - and they actually all start work at 8am to fit in early morning appointments so I imagine 8am till 7pm is late enough for them.

Now that said I would be pissed off too if I was a minute late and missed my appointment (I have a few times been a few minutes late) - did you check in to the system? I don't even talk to anyone when I check in?

[sack donger]

jollybaby, your post makes some valid points, however I feel that there are other things that could be done. Treating people with contempt is not the answer. Also you say I should have allowed over run time for crap tubes. I'd say allowing an hour and a half to get from Fulham Broadway tube to East Dulwich is sufficient time.

Why not for example allow 10 mins for an appointment, but have say a 10 minute gap every hour to soak up any minor lateness / over runs?

Or accept that things will always over run and schedule and pay receptionists/nurses/doctors to leave the place say 30 mins to an hour after the last appointment?

I shall definitely be looking to take my business (if thats the word?) elsewhere.

Yours a very ill and pissed off sack donger.

[sack donger]

One other thing, the one minute policy is rediculous, as it assumes that all patients will have their phones / watches set to exactly the same time as their clock. I set my phone to the offical 'big ben time' using the internet to avoid missing trains, etc, and as it happens my phone and their clock were in sync.

What however if you were a pensioner or something who didn't? I'd bet if I went into a local pub and did a "what time do you make it" survery, there would be a spread of a few minutes.

Jollybaby, you might not earn 80k, but I'll bet you earn over the 50k lower quoted figure eh! Still a handsome wage and a hell of a lot more than most people.

HonaloochieB, although I have calmed down now after my initial rage about this disgrace, I still feel that to call an organisation a bunch of c###s for this one minute policy is entirely appropriate. To refuse people an appointment for being one minute late, by their clock, is RUDE, NASTY and quite frankly DISPICABLE.

[jollybaby]

Sackdonger - am not going to get into a discussion about whether I deserve my salary - and hope you get well soon. The one minute cut off is too strict and you should complain through the proper channels (and I agree with Hoonaloochie about your choice of language).

It's always difficult with appointment slots - I bet if they did allow an extra half hour to 'catch up that would soon be filled with extra patients just pushing the same problem backwards.

[????]

I'm happy with one minute cut offs if the surgery says gives me ?1 for every minute I'm kept waitibng for an agreed appointment, I'd be well in the money....should work both ways. I bet private patients don't get kept waiting.....

[PeckhamRose]

Am so sorry to read this and no, not all doctor's surgeries treeat their patients with such disrespect. Ask if there is a patient forum at the surgery and join it. Southwark PCT people often attend. And if all else fails, when you are allowed to choose surgeries outside your immediate area, come to Nunhead Grove Surgery on Nunhead Grove, in... Nunhead! They insist on keeping their 020 number AND using real people to answer the phones. And I am on their patient forum and they're brilliant.

[HonaloochieB]

sack donger Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> One other thing, the one minute policy is

> rediculous, as it assumes that all patients will

> have their phones / watches set to exactly the

> same time as their clock. I set my phone to the

> offical 'big ben time' using the internet to avoid

> missing trains, etc, and as it happens my phone

> and their clock were in sync.

>

> What however if you were a pensioner or something

> who didn't? I'd bet if I went into a local pub and

> did a "what time do you make it" survery, there

> would be a spread of a few minutes.

>

> Jollybaby, you might not earn 80k, but I'll bet

> you earn over the 50k lower quoted figure eh!

> Still a handsome wage and a hell of a lot more

> than most people.

>

> HonaloochieB, although I have calmed down now

> after my initial rage about this disgrace, I still

> feel that to call an organisation a bunch of c###s

> for this one minute policy is entirely

> appropriate. To refuse people an appointment for

> being one minute late, by their clock, is RUDE,

> NASTY and quite frankly DISPICABLE.

No Sack Donger, calling a local doctor's practice a bunch of c***ts is not apt, no matter how hard done by it you might feel.

It simply is RUDE, NASTY and DISPICABLE (sic) on your part.

You had an appointment, you were late, make another one. On Saturday morning, which I believe is now being offered.

And make a complaint to the practice itself.

[ImpetuousVrouw]

I was in the Dulwich Medical Centre 2 weeks ago and they said the time limit for bing late was 10 minutes, so unless they have changed their policy in the last 2 weeks, I think you may be mistaken.

[eater81]

I think we've spotted our local manager / friend of manager of Dulwich Medical Centre. HonaloochieB,could you give me an example of something that would warrant calling somebody a bunch of c@@nts then? Because if this isn't a classic example, I don't know what is.

Only in London would such a 'f###k you' policy not only be dreamed up by an organisation whose remit it is to serve the public, but also backed up by somebody like HonaloochieB.

A) You've descended to sack donger's level of language by calling him a w*nker.

B) Why do you attempt to belittle the poor guy / gal by drawing attention to a minor spelling mistake, when your own posts are themselves riddled with gramattical mistakes!

Your over reaction to dongers use of a naughty word and attempting to intellectually outwit him / her on the oh so important battle ground of spelling are classic examples of middle class pomposity.

Now, assumming that you are in some way involved with the running of DMC, rather than further insulting an ill and already wronged patient, take heed from this thread and sort your surgery out! It is quite clear from this thread that a lot of people are more than unhappy with the service it is providing.

[HonaloochieB]

eater81 Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> I think we've spotted our local manager / friend

> of manager of Dulwich Medical Centre.

Eater81, I have no formal connection with DMC, aside from being a patient/customer/whatever we punters are termed these days.

I don't have any informal connection with any of the staff there either.

> HonaloochieB,could you give me an example of

> something that would warrant calling somebody a

> bunch of c@@nts then?

This is possibly the most ludicrous question I've ever been asked.

Because if this isn't a

> classic example, I don't know what is.

What's your criterion for calling a medical practice a bunch of c**ts? What makes it 'classic'?

> Only in London would such a 'f###k you' policy not

> only be dreamed up by an organisation whose remit

> it is to serve the public, but also backed up by

> somebody like HonaloochieB.

Look back at my first post, I wasn't 'backing up' the DMC, I gave my experience of the service and took robust issue with the OP's choice of words.

'Somebody like HonaloochieB'? Are we acquainted? I can answer that, no we're not, so you don't have a clue who I might resemble.

>

> A) You've descended to sack donger's level of

> language by calling him a w*nker.

You acknowledge then that SD's choice of words was ill-chosen if I descended to his/her level.

I don't think I did, but I'm ready to accept a certain amount of criticism, though 'bunch of c**nts' I think is far worse, and I'm surprised that Admin let it stand as a thread title.

> B) Why do you attempt to belittle the poor guy /

> gal by drawing attention to a minor spelling

> mistake, when your own posts are themselves

> riddled with gramattical mistakes!

Frankly because I thought the 'poor' guy/gal warranted some belittling on this occasion for an intemperate post.

If you could point out any gramattical (sic) errors that my posts are riddled with, I'd be truly happy.

I'm never too old to learn.

Your over reaction to dongers use of a naughty

> word and attempting to intellectually outwit him /

> her on the oh so important battle ground of

> spelling are classic examples of middle class

> pomposity.

I did not 'over' react to anything, it can't be done. I responded to what I thought was an abusive post.

I don't know why you associate objecting to cheap abuse and poor spelling as being 'midle class and pompous', it's people like you would have kept us working-class grammar school boys navvying like our dads, no doubt.

Now, assumming that you are in some way involved

with the running of DMC...No I'm not, now go away, you make me tired

[Fuschia]

It's not a one minute policy., it's a 10 minute policy. I don't know why they told you different. I have also had some luck getting the receptionist to sign my child in when we were 15 mins late (I think the machine at the back cuts off automatically after 10 minutes is the problem)

Sorry they didn't use some judgement with you... though I think the doctors tend to go round about 7, I have had mixed success trying to get the duty doctor on the phone at about that time in an emergency.

[Pecanpie]

Once again this may be more about receptionists than policy, and the title is clearly rude and possibly not worthy of responce ......

........ oh ar#e.