Dulwich Medical Centre

[willwaters]

I think it has to be time for Dulwich Medical Centre to address their failings. It truly is the worst run surgery I have ever experienced. I now don't go to the doctor when I should as it's just too painful to try and be seen.

I would love to understand how these surgeries operate - how can it be so bad? Why is it allowed to be? Does anyone (as I heard) profit directly despite the appalling service provided.

I hit redial on my phone 97 times to get an appointment recently. 97 times!! How does an elderly person with no modern phone ever manage to get seen?

I would like to think we can apply some local pressure to improve this place. Perhaps start by sharing stories.

[Cora]

There has been a thread before and complaints to NHS Choices but it just gets worse.....if you can find the nhs choices complaint number that seemed to work in getting a complaint heard. (Was on the forum at some point)

I think it is getting to dangerous levels, with people just giving up trying to get appointments when they need them. I was told in a phone consultation with a Dr (after the usual phone battle to get an appt....none left by 8.10am) that I needed to see a nurse to get tests done (the symptoms were very uncomfortable!) - the earliest appt was in 3 weeks time! I haven't bothered to make that appointment because either I will be better by then or I will be on my knees and wasting a@e time/resources or worse, it will feel like it's better but tests would have shown that something more sinister was going on.....and I have age and technology on my side!

I will add to the councillor Barber thread incase he can do anything...

[intexasatthe moment]

James has previously linked to this

"If you have a comment or a complaint about a GP, dentist, pharmacy or optician contact the London office of NHS England at [email protected]. You can also contact NHS England on 0300 311 22 33. There is more information available at http://www.england.nhs.uk/contact-us/complaint."

[Cora]

Thanks for adding the number, really worth contacting to have complaints lodged.

[tash b]

Hi I will be looking into changing doctors today, I called at 8 this morning for my young son who is so unwell to be told now they are trying a new system where the doctor will call you after 9 and book the appointment if they feel the need that you have to be seen.

Doctor called me at 11 said ok he needs to be seen but can you go to lister centre if I call them and book the appointment my reply was no my doctors is with dulwich medical centre not lister in Peckham I do not drive and my son is to ill her rude reply was well there are buses and I have only 1 appointment left and still have 7 more people to call, not my problem

I got my appointment in the end at dulwich

And whilst waiting in there they accepted 2 new patients, what a joke

That's my story for this morning shared lol

[Earl Aelfheah]

willwaters Wrote:

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

> I would love to understand how these surgeries

> operate - how can it be so bad? Why is it allowed

> to be? Does anyone (as I heard) profit directly

> despite the appalling service provided.

yes: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2063458/Family-doctors-firm-raking-1-8m-YEAR--patients-say-surgery-appalling.html

[Earl Aelfheah]

.

[first mate]

And I quote:

"DMC Healthcare

Anil Gupta is the co-founder of DMC Healthcare and

DMC Healthcare International. Having been raised in

a family of GPs, Anil has combined his love of medicine

with valuable business skills gained through working as

a chartered accountant and in the audit and tax teams

of Pfizer and BDO Binder Hamlyn.

Having successfully brokered a deal with his father to

manage the family practice, Anil and his brother, Ravi,

have transformed the family business from a small

single-site operation to a successful international

operation that is embracing change by bringing new

primary care services and walk-in centres closer to

people?s homes.

Ravi Gupta

Managing Director (Clinical), DMC Healthcare

Alongside brother Anil, Ravi Gupta is co-founder of

DMC Healthcare and DMC Healthcare International.

As clinical director he is responsible for ensuring

patients receive safe, quality care.

Ravi has extensive experience of redesigning clinical

care pathways to bring better health services to the

doorstep of patients, introducing physiotherapy,

dermatology, ophthalmology and COPD services.

With brother Anil, Ravi has successfully grown DMC

Healthcare primary care services and currently

operates five practices and four walk-in centres across

London and the South East, treating approximately

45,000 registered patients and over 90,000 walk in

patients per year, employing 200 staff and clinicians."

Pity they cannot be sued under trades description!

[Earl Aelfheah]

Nothing will be done. DMC continue to take huge amounts of public money, to generate generous private profits - whilst supplying a terrible service. And they're held up as exemplars of best practice and sent on junkets with the PM. The future of healthcare.

[SebsC]

I've been one of the people who in the past complained to NHS England about the appalling state of affairs at DMC. It was followed up by NHS England, they did investigate and I even got a phone call from the owner of the surgery. Slowly things did seem to improve but I have to agree that once again, things have slipped and the surgery seems to be back to their shoddy, dangerous and neglectful ways. I would urge EVERYONE who has experienced this to lodge a complaint with NhS England. They told me at the time that the more complaints they received, the more urgently it was dealt with. The EDF is a great place to vent steam and share frustrations but it will not make the DMC change. Pressure from NHS England may help to improve things somewhat, so please call the number above. If enough of us do it, who knows?

[jimbo1964]

They are absolute rubbish. There's no care for patients at all. There's no continuity of care. I'm really sick of them. It's better to be sick at the weekend and get seen by Seldoc.

[willwaters]

thanks for all the responses. will certainly be complaining as suggested above. is there a local surgery anyone would recommend?

[BrandNewGuy]

jimbo1964 Wrote:

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

> It's better to be sick at

> the weekend and get seen by Seldoc.

Or evenings and nights...

[Pengui]

Apparently if you are registered at DMC you should call (lolz, I know) right away to check if you have been dropped from the practice. Today I received a call from DMC about my son's repeat asthma prescription -- it could not be filled because my child had been mysteriously "dropped by NHS" according to the receptionist.

As it turns out it wasn't just my son who had been dropped -- my entire family had been "dropped by NHS." Not by DMC, according to the receptionist. Apparently someone at NHS is randomly dropping people for reasons she did not understand and DMC cannot control. She said this is happening to many patients enrolled at DMC. The only solution is to return to the practice and resubmit registration forms. Perhaps there is a good reason for all this. Perhaps unicorns are real.

If I wasn't in such a hurry to get my son's asthma medication I'd find another practice. I think I'd better anyway. As it is I've had to go to SELDOC or the occasional mobile clinic in Dulwich Park for all my basic medical care.

[jimbo1964]

Sounds like you need to get your MP on the case. Although my family are all registered a DMC we seem to mostly end up at Lister or Seldoc. I wish it was like the old days when you had a family GP who knew you.

[Earl Aelfheah]

Lister deal with their patients and they take the money. It's a disgraceful siphoning off of taxpayer funds into private hands, with not enough public gain. Crony capitalism in practice.

[bawdy-nan]

I too was mysteriously removed from their list despite them contacting me about a repeat prescription. I was furious and spoke to the practice manager who seemed very nice and determined to do something about the situation which he acknowledged was in a poor state. This was a couple of months ago but it doesn't sound as though things are improving at all.

[James Barber]

Complain by emailing [email protected]

http://jamesbarber.mycouncillor.org.uk/?p=2947

If enough people complain something will be done about it.

[Simon Cyrene]

Pengui and bawdy-nan I cannot believe your bad experiences. After our mother passed away suddenly a letter was received addressed to her for an appointment and we went to the surgery to remind them about her passing. We subsequently received a further four letters from them about different things, the"best" of which was asking why an appointment had been missed! Each time the surgery was visited to tell them again and again and each time it was noted by being written down by the receptionist. But the most egregious part of this tale (remember I stated remind them) is that, due to her passing away at home, Dr. Gupta had signed her death certificate.

[jimbo1964]

It's just run very badly. They need to be put into special measures like a failing school.

[SebsC]

This is councillor James Barbers message with regards to what he sent to NHS r.e the DMC...

http://jamesbarber.mycouncillor.org.uk/2015/02/10/dulwich-medical-centre/

As suggested, I too sent them an email copying in James Barber. I would urge everyone else to do so also. Maybe they will start to listen if they hear enough voices.

[jimbo1964]

I have emailed them too.

[bemusED]

NHS choices website...

144 reviews for DMC - average 1-star

kind of says it all really

http://www.nhs.uk/Services/GP/Overview/DefaultView.aspx?id=40451

i fully concur with comments and concerns above

its so difficult to get an appointment, in the past when i felt like i needed to be seen, I was often more inclined to simply not bother trying. About 10 years ago they were fine, with appointments available each day and some good doctors who had time to properly see you.

does anyone know, do medical practices under the Coalition's reforms get paid for every patient on their register or get paid for every consultation? I'm assuming its the former, hence the reason why DMC continue to take on patients in the full knowledge that their staff cannot cope with those already registered.

about to formally share my concerns with NHS England

[James Barber]

Please do complain if you have grounds or even complement if appropriate.

I'm keen we bring this to a head. Their is absolutely no reasons for this appalling low level of service.

[Jeremy]

I have also emailed in.

I think we can all understand that many surgeries have waiting lists for appointments these days.

But we should not have to accept a situation where it is almost impossible to make an appointment without turning up on their doorstep at 7:30am and begging.