Poor Performance of GP Surgeries

[Penguin68]

The Care Quality Commission has published a list of what it deems the worst performing GP practices in London (reported in My London https://www.mylondon.news/news/health/worst-gp-surgery-each-london-23007856) - Southwark's are these:-

Southwark

Nexus Health Group

2 Princess Street, SE1 6JP

Last Inspection: 24th January 2020

Dr B Bhatti & Dr R Das/ Spa Medical Centre

50 Old Jamaica Rd, SE16 4BN

Last Inspected: 5th January 2022

The Acorn & Gaumont House Surgery

151 Peckham High Street, SE15 5SL

Last Inspected: 29th May 2021

DMC Chadwick Road

60 Chadwick Road, SE15 4PU

Last Inspected: 19th November 2021

Dulwich Medical Centre

163-169 Crystal Palace Road, SE22 9EP

Last Inspection: 27th October 2021

The Lordship Lane Surgery

417 Lordship Lane, SE22 8JN

Last Inspection: 29th May 2021

Some of these names come as little surprise, I suspect.

[TTW]

So proud our local surgery is on this list (and completely unsurprised).

[Lynne]

Having spent 45 minutes waiting for the phone to be answered (when I could have walked there to make an appointment in 5) yesterday at the DMC, I'm not surprised

[ianr]

DMC Crystal Palace Road and The Lordship Lane Surgery

These two were downrated for the general categories "Safe" and "Effective" and "Well-led".

They were amber "Requires improvement" ratings, apart from DMC's red "Inadequate" flag for "Well-led".

Some amber ratings too for both for some of their specific areas of work:

People with long term conditions: "Requires improvement"

Families, children and young people: "Requires improvement"

Working age people (including those recently retired and students): "Requires improvement"

Full details here:

DMC Crystal Palace Road https://www.cqc.org.uk/location/1-565650623

The Lordship Lane Surgery https://www.cqc.org.uk/location/1-537675048

Index to SE22 and surrounds: https://www.cqc.org.uk/search/services/doctors-gps?location=London%20SE22&sort=default&la=&distance=2&mode=html

ETA: I've not found any indication that the 'worst' list was actually collated and published by the CQC, and personally I doubt whether they'd think it proper for themselves to do so. It looks to me more like journalists' datascraping, as I guess was done too for the Ofsted ratings story.

[Bic Basher]

Lordship Lane Surgery and DMC are no surprise really. LL has a too wide catchment area while DMC has too many patients.

[alice]

Interesting that the much maligned Forest hill rd surgery gets good in all categories.

[Guest]

alice Wrote:

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> Interesting that the much maligned Forest hill rd

> surgery gets good in all categories.

very surprised as they have negated any responsibility for vaccination or due care and attention

[Jenijenjen]

In what way have they ?negated any responsibility for vaccination??

[Penguin68]

very surprised as they have negated any responsibility for vaccination or due care and attention

Covid vaccination has been outsourced to Tessa Jowell which forms part of the same GP consortium. This makes logistic sense and worked, for me. The process seemed to me well managed for all the patients of the consortium GPs. Flu vaccinations (and pneumonia and shingles) were done in-house (at Forest Hill Road) and I have no reason to suppose that normal childhood vaccinations aren't done there as well. I do have problems with the fact that they are still locked up and getting people to queue and wait outside, the optics are very poor, but mostly they are delivering at least an arms length service.

[jim_the_chin]

GPs working in networks is great, had a phone triage at 930 on Monday by FHRGP and was seen at TJ at 1130.

[Jenijenjen]

I submitted an econsult form to FHRGP, received a phone call from them by the end of the day and had an appointment at Tessa Jowell the next day

[Guest]

Well, why can't the practice see its own patients rather than passing the work load onto the Tessa Jowell centre? Do they not have sufficient GP's at FHRGP to see patients? If not tell the patients that.

If you go to a hospital out patient appointment they see patients who wait in a waiting room area, so why can't FHRGP see patients and not make them queue up outside?

They have lots of roof lights they can open to circulate air, they have an entrance door and the back door as an exit point, so what's wrong with them seeing patients?

An example - Was told I "needed" to have a long term health condition check with a Health Care Assistant, eventually was offered a double appointment because that was what was "apparently" needed. I was seen by a new qualified (HCA), he took my weight, height and blood pressure and spent 20 mins doing this. Could have been done in a 10min slot. What did I gain from the appointment, nothing, its a tick box exercise by FHRGP.

They really need to get themselves sorted

[Penguin68]

Working now within a consortium I do agree that FHRGP does appear to have altered its operating model (outwith not opening the bloody waiting room). If this alteration leads to more effective and timely treatment, good, but there has certainly been no communication to patients about it. I believe that the old partnership model (where there were 5 or 6 GP Partners who owned the practice together) has changed, with fewer (none?) partners and salaried or locum GPs covering, though this is likely a function of GP shortages in inner cities. They also have, which they usen't to, active pharmacists (who have taken over prescribing routine tests and bloods) and more senior qualified nursing roles (Nurse Practitioners). Doctors are increasingly used as consultants for the other professionals. This may not be a bad thing. But we must see past Covid how this new model beds in, and whether it is to our (patient) benefit.

[LondonFermentation]

I was with DMC for years because I was too lazy to change but I've moved to Tessa Jowell and it is a bit easier to use the AskMyGP online system and they do get back to you within a specified amount of time.

[Whoeveritis]

Jenijenjen Wrote:

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> I submitted an econsult form to FHRGP, received a

> phone call from them by the end of the day and had

> an appointment at Tessa Jowell the next day

Not any more , their econsult is no longer an option

[alice]

The only way to contact them online is via a form where you had to sign to confirm you are not seeking any information about a medical problem.

[ianr]

Jenijenjen Wrote:

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> I submitted an econsult form to FHRGP, received a

> phone call from them by the end of the day and had

> an appointment at Tessa Jowell the next day

Was it the Extended Primary Care Services, 0208 194 7570, at TJHC that you were referred to? They are located there, and appear to act as an ad hoc daytime backup service for a consortium of South Southwark GP practices. https://www.ihlsouthwark.co.uk/what-we-do/epcs/ (also mentioned by me at https://www.eastdulwichforum.co.uk/forum/read.php?5,2254369,2254420#msg-2254891)

I've no idea whether they (or, for that matter, the consortium Covid-19 vaccination sessions held at TJHC) share any facilities with the Tessa Jowell GP practice. Can anyone illuminate?

[intexasatthe moment]

Jazzer " Was told I "needed" to have a long term health condition check with a Health Care Assistant, eventually was offered a double appointment because that was what was "apparently" needed. I was seen by a new qualified (HCA), he took my weight, height and blood pressure and spent 20 mins doing this. Could have been done in a 10min slot. What did I gain from the appointment, nothing, its a tick box exercise by FHRGP."

I hear you Jazzer .I have yearly medication reviews and have found the pharmacist helpful and professional .But the phone review I had the other week was not by him but by someone else .I'm sure she told me her name ,also sure she didn't mention her role .

I found it so off putting ,I also have yearly blood tests which Leslie the pharmacist was always happy to arrange .But this person seemed determined to argue wanting to know why did I want them ,when I explained it was post cancer surgery which had removed part of my stomach ,she wanted to know why the hospital wasn't organising them (it was 10 years ago ) .Then she pointed out that they weren't due until next month and wronlgly quoted me as saying I had all of my stomach removed .But whatever, I would need to make an appt with a GP for a blood tests

Then she moved on to her tick box exercise re pre diabetes -which my last bloods had shown I was no longer classified as .

Did I exercise ?,did I walk ?,how much did I walk ..blah ,blah blah.

I don't want to have to argue to get blood tests which I've always had as a standard ,I don't want the practice's agenda to be forced on me with no regard to my queries and health .I don't want want to be ambushed with a survey that I don't find helpful but which I suspect entitles them to additional funding .

And having a medication review before results of blood tests is illogical and wastes everyone's time .

[Jenijenjen]

Whoeveritis Wrote:

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

> Jenijenjen Wrote:

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

> -----

> > I submitted an econsult form to FHRGP, received

> a

> > phone call from them by the end of the day and

> had

> > an appointment at Tessa Jowell the next day

>

> Not any more , their econsult is no longer an

> option

Well, it?s working now. It doesn?t operate when the practice is closed.

https://fhrgp.webgp.com/

[Jenijenjen]

alice Wrote:

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> The only way to contact them online is via a form

> where you had to sign to confirm you are not

> seeking any information about a medical problem.

This is a little misleading. There is a contact form which states it shouldn?t be used about a medical problem, nothing about ?signing.? I should imagine it?s so that those needing medical help don?t used a general contact form where there query may get overlooked.

[Nigello]

I know some may think having one's bloods and sugars, height and weight a bit infra dig, but they can help in understanding what is going on with your body and what may happen to it; also, it helps build up a national picture. I am happy to go and be seen by a pharmacist, nurse, doctor, etc. for annual reviews, etc. If I have any questions about their qualifications or their role, I ask questions and if I don't get the answer I want, I ask to see a doctor there and then. No need for screeds and screeds of online venting. If you think your visit was sub-par, ask how you can feedback. Stay well!

[Lynne]

I'd like to know if people think it's worth changing to the Tessa Jowell centre?

[CPR Dave]

Who is left after these categories of patients? Spritely healthy people who don't need a doctor at all?

People with long term conditions: "Requires improvement"

Families, children and young people: "Requires improvement"

Working age people (including those recently retired and students): "Requires improvement"

[Siduhe]

Nigello, what you say makes perfect sense, but I think what ITATM and others are saying is that it isn't being used in that way at FHGP. It's being used as a barrier to accessing services that have previously been provided to patients with ongoing issues and to drip-feed care.

I don't want to share someone else's personal info but my better half has experienced recent sub-standard care for a long term condition, including being cut off from medication he is supposed to take daily by a process very similar to what others have described, and it's taken three months and extreme effort to sort. It certainly wasn't as easy as asking to see a doctor (the very first thing we did)

My personal view is that it's not lack of organisation but a deliberate strategy to manage their internal systems and backlog, but when it puts individual care at risk it's not acceptable.

[Guest]

GP and Dentists are private businesses and making a killing and the got the government and the public by the throat and there is nothing we can do ..and covid is a god given gift for them...and the NHS is being run to the ground