Alternative to DMC?

[Le_37]

Hi all,

same old chestnut I know, called for appointment, it is not urgent but the next available is 16 days away. I have booked but am getting fed up with this. Yes it is the NHS, yes we are inner London, yes population has grown but just wondered if people knew what Melbourne Grove Practice is like for appointments? Where else SE22 based would people recommend?

[Vik]

I'm with Melbourne Grove, have just called to book a non urgent appt for my daughter and they have given me Monday so only 2 working days.

The only probelem I've had with them is when they changed to the phone appt system, but they saw the error of their ways and changed back!

I would recommend Dr Zhang in particular.

[keilo]

I've been with Melbourne Grove for many many years and although they had a bad patch a while back (and a lot of bad press on the forum) I think they're really good at the moment. I can normally get an appt within a few days. Would second Vik's recommendation for Dr Zhang, he's really friendly and knows his stuff. Dr Jiwany is fab but only works one day a week so you need to wait a bit longer for him.

[Rach1983]

I've never been to Melbourne Grove but I changed from DMC to The Gardens surgery. That's a good one but has a very small catchment area so it depends where you live. Another thing you can do as a short term solution is go to Peckham walk-in centre. The same thing happened to me once where DMC told me I had to wait three weeks to see someone. I got so annoyed and eventually one of the nurses told me to ring the walk-in centre and I got a next day appointment on a Saturday! Not sure if it's like that all the time but I was very impressed with them.

[hpsaucey]

Another one fed up with DMC and about to vote with my feet and go elsewhere...

Shame as some of the doctors are good.