Dulwich Medical Centre - Any good?

[likansuk269]

DMC IS A JOKE,i registered there over 15 years ago and it was great,over the last few years it has become so hard to get seen by anyone who actually cares about he patient, appointments take forever to be ..I moved to the 206 (or whatever its called) IN LORDSHIP LANE much better .........DONT WASTE YOUR TIME AT THE DMC

[Candy Wright]

I have been a registered patient of DMC for the last 9 years and I must admit that, in the first 2-3 years, their service was second to none. However, the last 4 years or so have been shocking:

1. Very rarely get an appointment in the same week let along day of ringing

2. Trying to actually get through from 8am on the telephone can take a good 30-45mins of hitting redial and then being held in a queue

3. Very rarely see the same doctor/nurse twice

4. Telephone appointments booked never seem to actually take place on the allotted day/time as there always appears to be an admin issue

5. Bedside manner of quite a few health professionals has left a lot to be desired as they have clearly not read their notes to take on board the patient's needs at said appointment

6. Administration surrounding referrals needs a lot more detail to attention. I was referred to the hospital for the same appointment twice due to mistakes and had to chase, chase, chase to ensure things were followed up.

Thinking it might be time to jump ship myself!

[srisky]

Maybe I was lucky but on Thursday I managed to go from 6th in the queue to speaking to a receptionist within 5min at 8am. I then managed to get an appointment for my son at 10.30 that day and we were seen by the GP at 10.40. Hopefully, this is a sign that the service is improving, although they have always been quite good at appointments for children.

[worldwiser]

Although, the only practice you can access the Lanes' midwives through is DMC. And the simply amazing care we got from them is reason enough to tolerate the sketchy healthcare the practice itself offers. If you stand your ground with them you can usually get what you want. Out of 5 GP appointments I've had in the last year, 4 were arranged around 8am by phone for the same day and the fifth the next. They're being forced to institute Internet appointments soon.

[khedley]

Four years ago when we moved to ED, I was quite taken with our lovely modern local surgery , where you could phone on the day for an appointment or book one for later that week . It is so horribly sad and disappointing how much this has changed. Personally I find that the disinterest of the deputy practice manager and his use of the receptionists as shields from rightly dissatisfied patients deplorable. After numerous poor experiences in the last six months I am now looking to move practices.

How sick or elderly people can be expected to queue for 20 minutes in order to secure an appointment can be acceptable I have no idea. This morning I arrived at 7.40 and was 15th in the queue, one of two mothers standing in the cold to get an appointment for sick children who we'd had to bring with us and were sat in the same cold in their buggies. Having managed to get an appointment for 3 and a half hours later, on returning to the surgery we checked in. Finally 50 minutes late we were seen by a lovely and helpful doctor.

The problem with the surgery in my opinion is not the medical staff who are always exceptionally helpful and professional but the shocking management. And a final thought - the advertisement that new NHS patients are welcome has to be a joke surely?

[jimbo1964]

Last year I had a leg injury which required a trip to the nurse for a dressing change twice a week. Unfortunately, they didn't have any appointments with the nurse for about three weeks so I had to wait every time at the drop in surgery in Peckham or at Barts.

[midivydale]

Agree with the admin side of things entirely but I feel strongly that I must give a few words to some amazing GP'S there. Through family illnesses here and abroads I have met alot of medic staff over the years. I have 4 or 5 drc's at dmc who are first class. Attentative, no nonsens approach. I wan to name they so they can get applauded publicly buy i cant as it will give me even a harder time getting an appointment.

But with the female drs you cant go wrong,bar one. With the male ones I have never had a decent experience.

Oh and the Lanes, of course they would be the reason to stay if everything else was bleak. They are a bunch of fairies. I love them

[Earl Aelfheah]

My experience of DMC is that, in effect, it doesn't actually exist as a surgery but rather a referral service to Peckham drop in centre. I left a short while ago as I realised that I was quite capable of referring myself to the drop in centre and didn't really require their services in this regard.

[mischief]

Last night I realised I would have to call DMC today to either speak to or make an appointment to see a Doctor.

I googled to check the opening hours and noticed this thread and read it while waiting to get through on the phone. I want to give some positive feedback about DMC.

I got through after about 25- 30 mins and am waiting for my Doctor to call me back. I was told by the receptionist that the call would not be until late afternoon (this was after I had told her why I was ringing).

On a Monday morning, I do not think 25- 30 mins waiting to speak to someone is unacceptable. Maybe for some it is but this is probably the busiest time to contact them. My problem will be dealt with today, and if necessary I will get to see a Doctor.

I have been with DMC since July 2011 and have never had any problems getting an appointment whether it was urgent or not. I find the receptionists and admin staff very helpful. I have never had any issues with any of the doctors I have seen. In approximately 2 and 1/2 years I have seen 4 different doctors, this is not a problem for me. They have all been excellent and always gave me the care and attention I felt was needed for my appointment. If my appointment was not at the arranged time, I understand that some appointments take longer than others and when asked the receptionist has always given a realistic waiting time. The Doctor seen also apologised for the delay. In the last 6 months or so I have seen the same doctor each time and it is always her that rings me back for telephone consultations.

All in all I have no complaints with DMC and would recommend it to family or friends

[Dan G]

It's bloody awful - possibly the worst GP I have ever encountered. I can only repeat what others have said: impossible to get through to a doctor, appalling staff. A disgrace really.

[Sue]

Dan G Wrote:

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

> It's bloody awful - possibly the worst GP I have

> ever encountered. I can only repeat what others

> have said: impossible to get through to a doctor,

> appalling staff. A disgrace really.

xxxxxx

Not everybody has had these problems.

For example, see the post immediately above yours.

[Robert Poste's Child]

The responses do seem overwhelmingly negative though. I gave up on them about three years ago after several years of bad service as it became clear they are running it mainly for profit. At best it feels like a triage centre and, aside from the stress that goes with not being able to get an appointment when you need one, it troubled me that they were totally unable to look beyond the most obvious symptom to a more holistic view. You need your GP to take the context and history into account. The surgery I moved to is a delight.

[Jeremy]

mischief... did you get the callback? (and were you given a more specific time rather than just "late afternoon"?

Half an hour on hold followed by a promise of a callback at an unspecified time wouldn't impress me enough to write positive feedback. Nevertheless I hope that everything went well and your optimism was well-founded.

[Whoop]

If you can get passed the receptionists to actually see a doctor then yes, I think they are good. I have no complaint about the doctors at all. The issue is with the people on reception and I can speak from experience. Just over a week ago I made an urgent call to the medical centre and requested a conversation with a doctor (I was reluctant to call 999 if I didn't need to and a conversation with a doctor would answer this). The lady that answered was helpful and tried, unsuccessfully, to connect me to a doctor but promised me a call back. I waited for over an hour and with my pain increasing I sent my boyfriend round on foot to try and get some sort of follow up. He was met by a belligerent, rude receptionist who denied all knowledge of a call from me (she hollered out to the back room to check with her colleagues) and told him as there was no record of my call I would not be receieving a call back from 'no doctor, no matter how urgent it was and I'd have to queue for an appointment the next day like everyone else'. So he came home, we called 999 and I was rushed into hospital where I spent the next 6 days extremely poorly. When a rude, unqualified receptionist has the power to decided the urgency of a patients need and can dictate whether or not they get to speak to a doctor then I think we're all in trouble.

[BJL]

My family and I have been patients at DMC for 25 years (when they were in the house opposite the Upland Tavern, now the Actress). As they've become bigger and busier it seems that the centre is run more for the convenience of the practice rather than the patients - look at the appointments system, for example. In my personal experience, the prescription service is also terrible - I have 2 medications on repeat monthly prescriptions and there's been a problem every single month for the past year or so. Prescriptions aren't sent through to the chemist in time, wrong prescription etc.

I think it's time I left DMC.

[Heft]

How very sad this thread is. I really hope DMC are reading and paying attention.

The only reason I have chosen not to move my entire family from this practice is because I have a good relationship with the GP I always ask to see, and being in the middle of a course of medication I don't wish to move just now. This is the only reason I stay.

Many of the complaints on this thread are justified. However if the practice read this and make some drastic changes then perhaps they can turn it around. Surely they will want to address the awful public response? How about a statement on here DMC?

[mischief]

Hi Jeremy

Thanks for your concern and yes, I got my callback and everything was sorted out to my satisfaction. I wasn't given a specific time on this occassion, I was told it would be late afternoon so I did not expect it before 5pm. My Doctor call at 525pm. On a previous occasion I was told the Doctor would ring me at 0905, and true to their word I got a call at 5 past 9.

Obviously many people have had problems with DMC, I am not disputing that, I just want to give some positive feedback and as I said in my original reply, I have never had any problems at all with DMC.

[Wottajoke]

i left them years ago...now with gardens. All good. If you aren't happy...vote with your feet.

[hpsaucey]

Robert Poste's Child Wrote:

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

> The responses do seem overwhelmingly negative

> though. I gave up on them about three years ago

> after several years of bad service as it became

> clear they are running it mainly for profit. At

> best it feels like a triage centre and, aside from

> the stress that goes with not being able to get an

> appointment when you need one, it troubled me that

> they were totally unable to look beyond the most

> obvious symptom to a more holistic view. You need

> your GP to take the context and history into

> account. The surgery I moved to is a delight.

Which did you move to? Would be grateful to know as looking to do the same.

HP

[Robert Poste's Child]

PM'd you.

[brain_opera]

Sue Wrote:

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

> Dan G Wrote:

> --------------------------------------------------

> -----

> > It's bloody awful - possibly the worst GP I

> have

> > ever encountered. I can only repeat what others

> > have said: impossible to get through to a

> doctor,

> > appalling staff. A disgrace really.

>

> xxxxxx

>

> Not everybody has had these problems.

>

> For example, see the post immediately above yours.

This is not helpful, Sue. I'm glad you had a good experience but the OVERWHELMING majority of people do not. Including me- I left the surgery after repeated f-ups and prescription problems that put my health at serious risk and ended with me actually having to pay full whack (?45 for 3 pills) for my own medication in an emergency over a weekend they had messed my medication up. It's not helpful to dismiss many peoples' negative experiences that they might want to vent about just because a minority have positive experiences. The surgery is an absolute disgrace that needs to urgent change or be shut down.

[simonethebeaver]

That sounds very stressful, brain. I hope it doesn't happen again, but just in case, or for others reading, if you run out of prescription medication at a weekend, Seldoc should be able to give you an emergency prescription. We found this out when we were in this position with epilepsy medication for a child and Sainsburys tried to charge us for a private prescription. Another local chemist however told us about Seldoc's service, and we got the prescription over the phone and sent directly to the chemist.

[Sue]

brain_opera Wrote:

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

> Sue Wrote:

> --------------------------------------------------

> -----

> > Dan G Wrote:

> >

> --------------------------------------------------

>

> > -----

> > > It's bloody awful - possibly the worst GP I

> > have

> > > ever encountered. I can only repeat what

> others

> > > have said: impossible to get through to a

> > doctor,

> > > appalling staff. A disgrace really.

> >

> > xxxxxx

> >

> > Not everybody has had these problems.

> >

> > For example, see the post immediately above

> yours.

>

>

>

> This is not helpful, Sue. I'm glad you had a good

> experience but the OVERWHELMING majority of people

> do not. Including me- I left the surgery after

> repeated f-ups and prescription problems that put

> my health at serious risk and ended with me

> actually having to pay full whack (?45 for 3

> pills) for my own medication in an emergency over

> a weekend they had messed my medication up. It's

> not helpful to dismiss many peoples' negative

> experiences that they might want to vent about

> just because a minority have positive experiences.

> The surgery is an absolute disgrace that needs to

> urgent change or be shut down.

xxxxxx

I'm genuinely sorry that you didn't find my post helpful :( but it wasn't intended to be helpful as such, it was trying to make a point.

I am certainly not dismissing many peoples' negative experiences, including yours, and of course something should be done by the surgery to address them and to ensure they don't happen to others. I hope that you have made a formal complaint so that your experience is investigated and the required action taken?

However, you have no evidence to talk about "the OVERWHELMING majority of people" and suggest that it is "the minority" who have positive experiences, unless you or somebody else has done a survey of everybody registered with DMC. Which incidentally might be useful!

For any service or product, if you google online reviews, you are likely to find that the vast majority are negative, purely because most people are only driven to post about their experiences if they are annoyed about them because something was wrong. Why would anybody bother to write about a perfectly normal visit to their GP during which everything went smoothly? Or a product they had bought which they were perfectly happy with?

Please don't get me wrong. I am not in the least suggesting that there are not serious problems at DMC which need to be addressed. However I could post on here a long list of serious medical f-ups which I and members of my family have experienced at various GPs and hospitals in the past, some of which were potentially life-threatening.

I made no formal complaint on any occasion, therefore - hands up - probably those particular doctors are continuing with their same incompetence to others. My daughter has recently made a formal complaint to a hospital regarding a long saga of negligence last year, however it has taken her nearly a year to feel able - and well enough - to put it all in writing, not least because writing it down brings back very distressing memories.

Sadly, I don't think this kind of thing is confined to DMC, and that is the reason I am staying with them. Out of the frying pan and all that ....

I completely understand those who are leaving because of bad experiences, and if I had had a similar negative experience there I might well do the same, but that would be because of a very natural knee-jerk reaction rather than looking at DMC's actual statistics compared to other surgeries.

Sorry for the length of this post :(

[Peckhampam]

Looking at ratings on NHS choices DMC gets one star out of 5 and has 138 ratings. The Gardens get 3. The only other surgery on that page which gets only one star is based on only 4 ratings. I think a lot of people are very upset.

[tabbycat123]

I have to say I disagree with most people on here, yes it is getting worst trying to get a appointment with either a doctor or nurse not because of the reception staff its because on most days there are only 4 to 5 doctors working the reception staff try their best to try and help but can only do what they are allowed or told to. I once called and asked how many appointments were available on the day and was told they had 34 appointments to offer 23 people turned up in the morning to get appointments and that left 11 calls by 08:10 all the appointments were gone the staff had to still answer the calls and tell angry patients there were no appointments left. I have been there a few times and just seen doctors walking around with cups in their hands and refusing to help see patients, if you try and talk to people in charge you are told they are in meetings or busy. if you ask to talk to a doctor, nurse or the pharmacist on site you will see the receptionist trying their best to find someone to help yet no one is willing to. I agree its more about money then the patients. next time anyone goes there just watch what is happening and see the people that actually care and work and you will see its the poor people in the back.