Are there any GP surgeries in ED where it is possible to get appointments?

[Monkey]

What I will not forget DMC for: leaving me in agony with a horrible urinary infection a week after a very difficult labour. Why? Because their phones were not working... Again! Other GP surgeries seem to be able to organise their phones, pick up the receiver, talk to the person at the other end and, the Holy Grail, give an appointment. I am not blaming the receptionists by the way!

I have a few friends in London who have some trouble with their surgeries. Other friends in London, Essex, Yorkshire... Have no trouble.

[binary_star]

Monkey Wrote:

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> I have a few friends in London who have some

> trouble with their surgeries. Other friends in

> London, Essex, Yorkshire... Have no trouble.

Yes you don't have to look far. For 'making an appointment'...

DMC (below average across the board):

https://gp-patient.co.uk/practices/G85644/questions/?experience=5

vs

The Gardens (above average across the board):

https://gp-patient.co.uk/practices/G85651/questions/?experience=5

[SebsC]

As someone who has had numerous problems with DMC, I can see that I am not alone. Check out the appalling reviews on the NHS choices website...

http://www.nhs.uk/services/gp/overview/defaultview.aspx?id=40451

[Robert Poste's Child]

If you can't get an appointment there's the additional option of the walk-in Lister centre in Peckham, which is open to all comers from 8am to 8pm every day including weekends and bank holidays. You can book appointments over the phone if you don't want to wait, and I've heard they're good about putting children at the front of the queue.

http://peckhamgpwalkin.co.uk/

I see the website also has a form you can use to get advice within an hour from the 111 helpline doctors.

[keane]

I have been trying for a week to get an appointment for 6 year old child with ear ache & bad chest, they say they have nothing & to ring at 8, have been ringing at 8 & holding for ages & ages not easy with baby & other children to get up

& out at that time of the morning. Yesterday was told again they had nothing & will now try seldoc out of hours tonight to see of I can get him seen in case he needs an antibiotic. I can see why so many people end up

In A & E unnecessarily if they can't get an app with Gp.

[Jeremy]

You have to get there early (before doors open) and queue up, that way you should get an appointment that morning. I know it's tough with kids/work, but it's pretty much the only option.

The Peckham walk-in centre is a good facility, but it's not a substitute for a GP. They can't refer you to hospitals/clinics for specialist treatment, they won't book follow-up appointments, etc.

[EPB]

Does anyone know what the patient/doctor ratio is?

[keane]

The trouble with getting there at 8 in morning with other children is that u are also trying to get them fed & ready & take them to school it's just a crazy system at DMC. I still can't get an appointment for today despite calling at 8 again this morning & queuing on phone. They are now suggesting I go to seldoc tonight with my 6 year old who now has temp of 39.6 and I've been trying to get him an app at DMC since last Tuesday.

[binary_star]

Jeremy Wrote:

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> You have to get there early (before doors open)

> and queue up, that way you should get an

> appointment that morning. I know it's tough with

> kids/work, but it's pretty much the only option.

Which is why everyone's complaining.

I've done this - on crutches in the cold - and not managed to get an appointment. I can't imagine what it would have been like if I was also elderly/less mobile/very ill. I did manage to get an appointment doing this once for around 11am. That meant taking half a day off work. I did do it because I felt my health was more important but it's totally unnecessary. And infuriating.

[Jeremy]

binary_star Wrote:

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> Which is why everyone's complaining.

Yes I know... I'm not saying it's acceptable.

[standswithfist]

Unbeliable at the DMC! For 2 and a half weeks i've been phoning at 8am to try to get appointment and none available. I've ended up having to wait until the weekend to take myself and my daughter to SELDOC (who are unbeliebably helpful, wonderful, call you within the hour seen in the next couple of hours. Called again today to try to get any appointment - if i have to wait then so be it. NO APPOINTMENTS AVAILABLE FOR THE REST OF THIS MONTH OR DECEMBER!!!

Will be reading up reviews of where else to go and register my family now. its appaling to be unable to get an appointment until January - except they won't book them as they haven't gone onto the 'system' yet.

!

[BJL]

Many similar experiences have made me decide to leave DMC, after 27 years as a patient there. It's an appalling "service" and as hard as the front-line staff try, it seems that the owners/managers are incapable of running the practice properly.

[ginpop]

My experience of the DMC has been terrible. I have an eleven month old who was very ill last week. From 8am I redialed over 236 times (my phone recorded the number) to get into the telephone queue for an appointment, of which, of course when I finally got through there were none.

I was told that my son was a priority and I would be put on a cancellation list, but by lunchtime there was still no availability. I then phoned 111 and was told to take him to a walk-in centre in New Cross. We waited there for three hours and after seeing a nurse, was immediately referred to A&E. Luckily he was then seen, treated and discharged, but it was an unnecessary stressful and drawn out experience.

I would love to know where in East Dulwich you can get an emergency appointment, for a genuine emergency?

[Sue]

ginpop, that sounds terrible. I thought there was now a triage system to replace the drop-in scheme at the Lister?

I recently saw a GP at DMC and had to have a load of tests, and the GP made an appointment for me whilst I was in with her. As far as I could see, this was put straight into the system rather than going via reception.

It would have been the following week, but I was away, so it was the first day I was back the week after that.

I was quite surprised as I would have expected to book the follow-up appointment via reception.

But if this is happening often, it could be one reason for the apparent lack of early appointments?

[first mate]

In future follow Sec of State for Health Jeremy Hunt's lead and go straight to a&e, as he said, he didn't want to have to wait for a GP appt.

[Bic Basher]

first mate Wrote:

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> In future follow Sec of State for Health Jeremy

> Hunt's lead and go straight to a&e, as he said, he

> didn't want to have to wait for a GP appt.

The same Jeremy Hunt who tried to downgrade Lewisham Hospital's A&E.

[1921]

Not in my experience lately, I finally got a pre-bookable appointment which they then called to cancel the next day as the Dr wasn't actually consulting that day. The poor receptionist could not offer me an alternative appointment as they didn't have any available.

I asked for the Practice Manager to call me but have not heard anything yet, 2 weeks and counting, oh and I still haven't had an appointment.

It seems on the EDF that DMC are as rubbish as the rest locally.

[Monkey]

Well the Care Quality Commission has earmarked DMC as a priority 1 for inspection after a number of elevated risks were flagged. Perhaps they will be finally forced to improve. Or perhaps it won't change a thing.

http://www.cqc.org.uk/sites/default/files/1-565650623%20GP%20IM%20V101.pdf

[Sue]

Monkey Wrote:

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> Well the Care Quality Commission has earmarked DMC

> as a priority 1 for inspection after a number of

> elevated risks were flagged. Perhaps they will be

> finally forced to improve. Or perhaps it won't

> change a thing.

>

>

> http://www.cqc.org.uk/sites/default/files/1-565650

> 623%20GP%20IM%20V101.pdf

If it doesn't change a thing, it's all an expensive farce, isn't it? What would be the point of having an inspection? (Assuming they found things wrong, obviously).

[Monkey]

Assuming they found things wrong? People can't make a blooming appointment. They left me in utter f******* pain after I had my baby. And there's all one reads on this forum. But no I can't be sure the inspection will do anything because I have complained so many times and hit a brick wall each time.

[Pickle]

Dreading ringing DMC this morning to get an appointment for my sick 2 year old, surprised to get through after just a few minutes on hold, and to be offered a 10am appointment. If only it were that easy all the time!

[Sue]

Monkey Wrote:

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> Assuming they found things wrong? People can't

> make a blooming appointment. They left me in utter

> f******* pain after I had my baby. And there's all

> one reads on this forum. But no I can't be sure

> the inspection will do anything because I have

> complained so many times and hit a brick wall each

> time.

Sorry Monkey, I didn't mean to imply they wouldn't find anything wrong at DMC, I meant in more general terms what would be the point of an inspection anywhere if no action was taken on what was found.

Your experience sounds horrific and surely if they could not give you an immediate appointment they should have referred you elsewhere?

[Sqiggles]

I read somewhere that the drop in system at the Lister HC in Peckham has now changed, and you have to book an appointment through your GP. Worth checking before going down there.

[Sol]

Exactly the same is happening at Elm lodge surgery in herne hill; even though when I went there this week it was empty which is very unusual; I think it was one of the best surgeries around