Dulwich Medical Centre - Any good?

[Juliette&Rich]

I have just recently moved to the area and signed up to the Dulwich Medical Centre and have been quite shocked at the terrible level of service offered.

The staff have been fine and I'm sure are equally frustrated. I wanted to make a nurses appointment last week and the wait time is 13 days. I now want to make a doctors appointment and the wait time is 18 days! I was advised to call NHS Direct in the meantime who were shocked by this and advised I called back up and demand an emergency appointment - which after some strong words I managed to get. I must have spent nearly an hour on hold on the phone trying to resolve all of this today.

I have never experienced this at any other practice before. Is this normal at DMC?

Can you recommend anywhere else in ED?

[LondonMix]

Where in ED do you live? If its convenient for you, the surgery on Forest Hill Road has always been fairly good when I've needed them.

[PeckhamRose]

Report them to PCT. Other surgeries do not have this appalling service.

If you're in the Nunhead Surgery area definitely go there.

We had a patients forum last week and they are very popular because they are empathatic and won't go down the 0870 route, have a human answering phones and do not have these ridiculous long waiting times to see doctors.

[richard tudor]

Will the service get any better if they get the prescription business they are looking for? They do not seem to have the staff to meet everyday demand.

Improve the basic service first.

[Jeremy]

The reviews say it all:

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

It used to be OK - but I think things got really bad when everyone left the Melbourne Grove practice, and DMC (for some reason) took on way too many patients.

[richard tudor]

I am sure the reason is obvious!!

[Jeremy]

Richard - profits before patient care does seem to be the message they're sending out, yes.

[Juliette&Rich]

I'm just off Lordship Lane near The Palmerston pub.

Any recommendations nearby welcomed.

Many thanks

[Chillaxed]

While you're considering your options, if you turn up at the DMC at 8am and queue, they'll generally give you an appt same day. Not an option for many, but if you're mobile and close by it works.

[Indiana]

Typical of DMC I am afraid - I am currently moving due to these exact issues. I hear 306 Medical centre on Lordship Lane is good.

[jennyh]

Chillaxed Wrote:

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> While you're considering your options, if you turn

> up at the DMC at 8am and queue, they'll generally

> give you an appt same day. Not an option for

> many, but if you're mobile and close by it works.

Sadly I've tried this on a few occasions but they take phone calls in the office at the same time as seeing people out front. I queued up from 7.30 and was 6th in line, the only appointment I could get once I got to the front was at 5pm which despite being the same day wasn't that convenient and is hoped for something in the morning, early bird and all that! Another time I queued I didn't get one at all. I reckon stand in line and also phone!!!

I too tried to call today to get an appointment for my toddler but couldn't get one. Will join the bun fight again tomorrow.

[Monkey]

My little family has joined the Gardens. Best thing we've done. My phone call last week was answered within two rings and I got an appointment within days. When a surgery does not take too many patients and employs enough GPs, it works!

[Pugwash]

We are with the Gardens - very happy with all the Drs seen. What is nice if they see you in the Supermarket or the gym they always acknowledge you and sometimes have a quick chat. Great nurses in attendance for diabetic check ups/smear tests etc. Sometimes hard to get an appointment but generally not a problem. The early morning and late evening surgeries are a boon. If they are running late the receptionists will usually give a reason why and apologize.

[hellosailor]

DMC have 55,000 patients, one of the doctors told me on my last visit, and are still taking more on

[Juliette&Rich]

I tried to register for The Gardens as I'd heard good things, but sadly we live outside the catchment area.

Its not easy getting a good doctor and surgery.

[Michael Palaeologus]

Ditto positive comments re The Gardens.

[jennyh]

hellosailor Wrote:

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> DMC have 55,000 patients, one of the doctors told

> me on my last visit, and are still taking more on

Wow! That is insane!

[OliviaDee]

do you mean DMC on Chadwick Road? If so i am there and have never had too puch of a problem getting seen and i balance that against the fact that they have several top notch female doctors if that makes a difference to you.

[Burbage]

jennyh Wrote:

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> hellosailor Wrote:

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

> > DMC have 55,000 patients,

>

> Wow! That is insane!

Not entirely insane. DMC healthcare is a group that runs seven or eight practices of which two, at Chadwick Road and Crystal Palace Road, happen to be in our area.

Those branches reported having exactly 12501 registered patients each, which, though an interesting coincidence, is reasonable enough (the Forest Hill Group practice is reckoned to have over 14,000 patients), and the remainder of the 50k patients, seems to be easily accounted for by the more provincial outposts of the empire.

[Penguin68]

It is impossible to tell from the NHS web site how many of the doctors registered to a practice are part-time, and of those how many days they work. Equally a doctor can be registered to a practice but rarely visit it - a number of GP practices have partners who actually push all their work onto salaried doctors. Without this information you cannot build a FTE (full time equivalent) against registered patients ratio to judge the level of over or under loading of a practice. [it is also true that the mix of patients is an issue - old people and children take-up more GP time than the healthy working-aged - but it is reasonable to assume within, e.g. SE22 that the patient mix is likely, everything else being equal, to be similar amongst different practices.

For DMC I note that Dr Lauren Cunningham is shown as a practicing GP in both Chadwick Road and Crystal Palace Road.

[Ant]

It may be worth noting that in the eight or so years I've been registered with DMC (Crystal Palace Road) I have hardly ever seen the same doctor twice, and most of the ones I do see seem to pass through and have left again by the time I come back. Balance against that the fact that I don't go all that often.

Nevertheless, it would be nice to get an appointment (ha!) and have at least some chance of seeing a doctor you've seen before and who knows you.

I think I'll be leaving them for pastures green too...

[DogLover]

I had a very bad experience where a letter referring me to the hospital was not sent to me. When I pointed out the error, the doctor still didn't action it. Eventually after getting very angry and sitting in the reception for half an hour, the situation was rectified.

Fortunately, the problem turned out not to be a significant health issue, but in other circumstances it could have been disastrous.

I'm now with the Gardens surgery.

[Juliette&Rich]

Wish I could go to The Gardens - so many good reviews. But sadly my road isn't on their list.

The DMC are too big for their own good.

[Le_37]

I am disgusted by the DMC and fed up! They seem to be business first care second. This will become more common with commissioning!

[Peckhamrye]

I don't have any problem with DMC on Chadwick Road (yes, I know, that's in Peckham) - and I know Dr Cunnginham is part time there so operhaps her other days she spends at Crystal Palace Road?