Anyone experiencing even greater issues securing a GP appointment with Tessa Jowell GP practice?

[Baroness Millhaven]

5 hours ago, trinidad said:

Has anyone noticed any improvements with the Tessa Jowell GP practice? I have used the service with more access to the evergreen service, and the telephone service now tells you how many people are in front of you when you call, but unfortunately for me, this service still seems below standard. I went online yesterday morning to request a SICK note and gave the reasons why. I received a response at around 11am, to inform me the FIT note had been granted and would be emailed. Checked my inbox, and guess what, nothing. Sent a send evergreen request just after 12midnite, again requesting a SICK note. I should of submitted the certificate to my line manager yesterday. I wait several hours, still nothing. I make my third contact with the surgery, this time by telephone. I am not asked any data protection details, Im just told the certificate would be sent to me by text and email. At 1:30pm today, the GP decided to reply to my evergreen enquiry to say the enquire was closed as I had received the certificate this morning. A copy of the certificate was included. 

This is not the sort of experience you need, when your ill. When will services get better in this GP practice?  

They are not called sick notes anymore- they are called Fitness to Work (Fit) notes

[alice]

correction unnecessary. we can call them what we like - it means exactly the same thing.

[KalamityKel]

17 hours ago, Sue said:

You don't have to put up with it!

There are other local GP surgeries!

It's very easy to change, just register with another one!

 

 

I've said this before and will say it again, patients shouldn't have to go to another one and that has to be the key point!  Patients sign up to a particular surgery expecting a service (mostly quite basic) and they're not getting it.  Nothing will change if people just move on.  Voices have to sing and be heard.

Keep complaining even if you (anyone) have no response or the response you get back is flaky.

[Sue]

1 hour ago, KalamityKel said:

I've said this before and will say it again, patients shouldn't have to go to another one and that has to be the key point!  Patients sign up to a particular surgery expecting a service (mostly quite basic) and they're not getting it.  Nothing will change if people just move on.  Voices have to sing and be heard.

Keep complaining even if you (anyone) have no response or the response you get back is flaky.

Yes, of course you shouldn't have to go to another one, but what's the point in staying somewhere which is giving you a terrible (or even mediocre)  service and showing no signs of improvement despite your and other people's complaints?

Especially where your health is concerned.

It's only a "key point" in general terms, not in an individual case.

Sometimes you just have to put your own welfare first. It's up to others whether they just stay and put up with continuing poor service on the grounds that it "might" improve if people keep complaining.

Has anybody actually asked the surgery what are the reasons for their apparent shortcomings? What does the practice manager say?

[Froglander]

The practice manager at TJ is very elusive.  I made a complaint in writing in March and have still not heard back. The previous one, who still works there in a different capacity - Business Mgr I think - was also dreadful.  Phone messages were not returned, nor were written complaints addressed.

[Sue]

1 hour ago, Froglander said:

The practice manager at TJ is very elusive.  I made a complaint in writing in March and have still not heard back. The previous one, who still works there in a different capacity - Business Mgr I think - was also dreadful.  Phone messages were not returned, nor were written complaints addressed.

Well, I rest my case.

But surely there is some recourse beyond the surgery itself?

The appropriate MP, if all else fails.

Helen Hayes used to be very good at taking up things like this, and probably still is, but so far as I know most of East Dulwich is no longer in her constituency since the boundary changes 

 

[trinidad]

On 17/07/2024 at 13:58, Sue said:

You don't have to put up with it!

There are other local GP surgeries!

It's very easy to change, just register with another one!

your right, i don't have to accept poor service.

 

 

23 hours ago, Baroness Millhaven said:

They are not called sick notes anymore- they are called Fitness to Work (Fit) notes

I dont think it matters what it is called. The mygp website calls it this:

through illness of less than seven days duration. Please be aware that a sick/fit note will not be issued before this time

For more information on how to self-certificate

If you have already self-certified for 7 days and need to request a sick/fit note, please complete the form below:

 

Were you wanting to request:

 

 

A sick note (to be signed off work)

A fit note (to return to work with adaptations)

11 hours ago, KalamityKel said:

I've said this before and will say it again, patients shouldn't have to go to another one and that has to be the key point!  Patients sign up to a particular surgery expecting a service (mostly quite basic) and they're not getting it.  Nothing will change if people just move on.  Voices have to sing and be heard.

Keep complaining even if you (anyone) have no response or the response you get back is flaky.

Thank you for your support. I have sent this latest experience to the practice manager, although from experience, i am not expecting a response. Regarding my complaints from February, it is currently with the ICB. The ICB asked the surgery to respond by the end of May to themselves. I have not heard from the ICB and have sent a chaser email to ask why. I dont understand why things go wrong each time i use there service!! 

9 hours ago, Sue said:

Yes, of course you shouldn't have to go to another one, but what's the point in staying somewhere which is giving you a terrible (or even mediocre)  service and showing no signs of improvement despite your and other people's complaints?

Especially where your health is concerned.

It's only a "key point" in general terms, not in an individual case.

Sometimes you just have to put your own welfare first. It's up to others whether they just stay and put up with continuing poor service on the grounds that it "might" improve if people keep complaining.

Has anybody actually asked the surgery what are the reasons for their apparent shortcomings? What does the practice manager say?

I do understand your contribution, for me, I want things to improve, and I am currently going through the complaints system, although i must say, it is very long, and has currently not provided much fruit. I raised concerns back in February and there are still issues. The ICB which oversees these GPs seem to be overworked, and they have had my complaint for several months now. I am hoping things will improve, but i do understand if I had a car which gave me problems, i would it the boot and trade it in. 🙂 

4 hours ago, Froglander said:

The practice manager at TJ is very elusive.  I made a complaint in writing in March and have still not heard back. The previous one, who still works there in a different capacity - Business Mgr I think - was also dreadful.  Phone messages were not returned, nor were written complaints addressed.

I had the same issue, I only received a response from the practice manager when I contacted the ICB, the practice manager decided to contact me. The practice don't seem to understand how to effectively address complaints. There is a poor complaints policy. If the practice manager goes on leave, no one seems to carry out her work. They claim to have a "complaints department" but when you scratch the surface, they have a complaints administrator. I have asked twice to join the patient experience group, again no response. why dont you raise this with the ICB?  

3 hours ago, Sue said:

Well, I rest my case.

But surely there is some recourse beyond the surgery itself?

The appropriate MP, if all else fails.

Helen Hayes used to be very good at taking up things like this, and probably still is, but so far as I know most of East Dulwich is no longer in her constituency since the boundary changes.

This seems to be a good idea, maybe contacting the MP and local councilors. 

I have to admit, this service is being delivered so poorly at the moment. 😞 

[Froglander]

Was told today their computer systems are all down so no appointments.  This was after I telephoned.  I presume this is due to the problems I saw mentioned in a news report.  

[Froglander]

Just trie to access NHS App for GP info and that part won’t work.

[trinidad]

Have something positive to report back on. I called the reception this afternoon about 6pm, and the first surprise was the call was answered right away. I enquired when the evergreen online service closes, as my experience a a few months ago was around 8:30am. The reception told me, there service is now open until 4pm each day (can anyone verify this?). I asked what the response times are? It seems the surgery has now moved away of meeting the target of ensuring everyone has a same day appointment, and instead, a duty GP will grade the urgency from same day, 2-3 days and 3-5 days. The GP will also decide if you require a face to face appointment or a telephone appointment. 

On the disappointing side, the illusive practice manager has still not acknowledged my complaint (the email was sent to their generic inbox last Wednesday - what happened to your shiny "Complaints Department " mentioned on your website?)

I have also chased up my ICB complaint about the surgery, they also had a email from me last Wednesday, and just like the surgery, have chosen to ignore my email. If the regulator ignores the email, its not surprising the individual GP practice does.    

  

[Froglander]

I had to wait an entire week - from a Friday when I called, until the following Friday, to speak to a GP.  Was told on the  Monday after I called that I would be called on the Friday.   

[ianr]

Has anyone been able to see a GP at the TJGP practice this week?  According to https://my.askmygp.uk/?c=G85132#/staffAvailability (copied here) there's not even one of their locum GPs available, just nurses or nurse practitioners.  Have  GPs from the Extended Primary Care Service (EPCS) been filling in? 

(If you do go to the webpage you need to click on the top menu to move from All Sites (whatever that means) to Tessa Jowell)

 

Edited September 3 by ianr

[Happyme5]

LOL.  Although it isn't funny I called for over 4 hours the other day pressed every option available. Needless to say no one answered or returned my call.  I have however managed to now get on the ask my GP app.  After a few years of trying due to an error in admin.  They seem to be very short staffed with admin support etc.   I have been able to get a fit note within a few minutes from a real GP who I have actually seen. But I did have to in and sort it out at the desk with a chap who seems really busy but good at his job.  I don't think the app showing availability of GPs is correct as I noted the GP who dealt with my online request was not showing as available at that time on the app.  And now it seems that all appointments are screened for urgency and then dealt with by a phone.  Etc.  

[first mate]

No, it is not funny and it is awful for anyone registered with this abomination of a practice. If GPs are not available then how can it call itself a GP practice?

Nurse practitioners are highly qualified and great but they are not qualified doctors.

I must underline how crazy it was that the awful money-grabbing company that owns the practice was ever handed one of the best sites in the borough.

[sandyman]

I think it has improved but from a very low bar and it still has a long way to go. If you use the Askmygp App you don't have to set the alarm for 8am any more to reach them, you can leave a message most times of the day. However, when i left a message last week a day later I received a reply saying "this request has now been completed" but i hadn't heard anything else. Then two days later i did get a call and a face-to-face appointment with a locum was arranged for that afternoon even though my issue wasn't urgent. So, as I said, my experience is that it is getting better, but it is far from perfect. 

[Happyme5]

Handyman I agree there has been a big improvement but as you said starting from a point that was scandalous.  I agree with you Again (I hadn't really thought about it B4)  this notion of private companies owning/operating NHS services especially a GP surgery.  At the end of it they are only interested in profit at our loss.  When a patient has to go to AnE for treatment that could and should have been provided by their GP practise it must cost a heck of of a lot more to process the now potentially dangerously sick patient. And the privately run practice faces no cost for that.  It is the emergency service at the local AnE that gets lumped with those costs.  It demonstrates a general lack of reasonable responsible morale planning of provision of services for service users.     It is rather scandalous...

[malumbu]

Private ownership of GP surgeries was there from the off.  It was one of the sops that the government had to give to the BMA to get their agreement to the establishment of the NHS.  Ditto allowing medics to also practice privately.

[Happyme5]

See you learn something everyday.  

[Froglander]

Which GPs in the area are not in private ownership?

[Penguin68]

All GP practices (primary care) are privately owned - either as a single practice (now very uncommon, post Shipman) owned and staffed by a single doctor; more commonly as a partnership, with a number (2+) of partners, together, sometimes, additionally with salaried GPs or as a limited company, either owned by one GP (or sometimes several, but not as a partnership) or by a trading company. Wealthy doctors can own more than one practice, in which case the majority of GPs will be salaried (and not often paid that much!). Ownership options are similar to dental practices and to vets! GP practices can also employ locums - who are not permanent staff members.

Practices contract with the NHS who pay a capitation fee (for enrolled patients) together with extra payments e.g. for (some) vaccinations etc. to fulfil targets set by Government. [Actually, the payment structure for primary care is complex and ever-changing, as are the performance demands placed on practices]

The BMA (Doctors' Union) negotiated this arrangement with Bevan right from the start - but the existence of private companies in the primary care market is a relatively recent phenomenon, it used just to be sole traders and partnerships.

Staff working in practices will be employed by the practice, not directly by the NHS (but medical staff other than doctors will get, I believe, rates of pay agreed by the NHS with the unions). 

Edited September 4 by Penguin68

[malumbu]

5 hours ago, Happyme5 said:

See you learn something everyday.  

I only found out from seeing the wonderful play Nye at the Southbank a couple of months ago. Educational in deed, and senior doctors painted out as very arrogant in the late 40s 

[aloevera]

I requested a non-urgent appointment today. I had no problem booking, but I received an auto reply generated message letting me know that someone within the team will contact me by telephone on Thursday from 13-18.30. 

I chose to be contacted via e-mail to avoid missing a telephone call...

[trinidad]

MMMMMMMMMMMM, were you contacted three days later in the afternoon? 

It has been several months, and I am now awaiting a response still from the ICB over my experiences several months ago. I have chased, and chased, and chased the ICB. In my last email, I copied in the health ombudsman. I still have a complaint with the surgery I submitted in April, which has yet to be replied to. 

The appointment system has got better, but forget about complaining to the surgery, they simply ignore complaints, or when pushed, will invite you in for a cozy chat. The surgery seems to have a fear of putting responses in writing. 

I have requested to attend the patient experience group, I don't think the practice manager wants me on there. The ICB wants the to be part of the group.

Out of interest, hows everyone else's experience with the surgery?

[Sue]

9 hours ago, trinidad said:

MMMMMMMMMMMM, were you contacted three days later in the afternoon? 

It has been several months, and I am now awaiting a response still from the ICB over my experiences several months ago. I have chased, and chased, and chased the ICB. In my last email, I copied in the health ombudsman. I still have a complaint with the surgery I submitted in April, which has yet to be replied to. 

The appointment system has got better, but forget about complaining to the surgery, they simply ignore complaints, or when pushed, will invite you in for a cozy chat. The surgery seems to have a fear of putting responses in writing. 

I have requested to attend the patient experience group, I don't think the practice manager wants me on there. The ICB wants the to be part of the group.

Out of interest, hows everyone else's experience with the surgery?

If you have chased and chased, how about contacting your MP? And/or a local councillor?

Obviously they don't have any direct influence on this, but it's amazing how a letter from an MP can focus people's minds 😂

[Castleton]

Sorry if  I missed it in previous posts but when I use th much promoted (indeed insisted upon) app, it says no, go to AskmyGP.

AskmyGP isn't logging me in although I have an account.

Surgery closed for training this afternoon!