GP surgery recommendations - Dulwich

[FranketyFrank]

Hi all,

My wife and I have recently moved to the area. Grateful for any current thoughts on the best local GP practice to join? Online reviews of all local ones seem pretty scathing, so wondered if this was actually representative of peoples experiences. 

Thanks in advance. 

[Sue]

I moved to The Gardens from my previous GP a few years back.

I have been very happy with it on the whole, though they have recently changed their appointments process and seem to prefer you to make appointments online, though you can still phone after 9am to make one.

I didn't have any trouble getting through or getting an appointment when I phoned last week.

Edited March 24, 2024 by Sue

[Pugwash]

Most surgeries have catchment areas - whereabouts are you?

Have been with The Gardens for over 20 years- I do not make appointments on line and prefer to do this by telephone or in person. They have a pharmacist attached to them who rings up to check if medication is appropriate or if any concerns. Practice nurses are very friendly and efficient.

[Sue]

2 hours ago, Pugwash said:

Most surgeries have catchment areas - whereabouts are you?

Have been with The Gardens for over 20 years- I do not make appointments on line and prefer to do this by telephone or in person. They have a pharmacist attached to them who rings up to check if medication is appropriate or if any concerns. Practice nurses are very friendly and efficient.

They have a physio attached to them, as well. I got an appointment with him the following day when I hurt my knee 😮

[Callie]

There used to be an Osteopath at The Gardens (not physio) but they have since left.

[Sue]

The physio wasn't physically based at The Gardens, just attached to the surgery rather than my having to be referred to a hospital physio department.

[Lynne]

Of course, people's experiences may vary, but I'm afraid I can't recommend the DMC on Crystal Palace Rd.

[Pugwash]

I am at The Gardens. I saw GP on a Wednesday and he recommended physio, he checked availability and offered Tessa Jowell Centre for Saturday at 1 pm or Forest Hill Road Practice on a Monday at 11 am. I chose FH- very efficient/ Physio at FH very helpful, sent me some neck exercises and referred me for spinal assessment at Kings.

[Sue]

2 hours ago, Lynne said:

Of course, people's experiences may vary, but I'm afraid I can't recommend the DMC on Crystal Palace Rd.

Nor me, I left there years ago, even though it's just round the corner from where I live.

I was at another one in between before moving to The Gardens.

Edited March 29, 2024 by Sue

[Froglander]

Melbourne Grove, now Tessa Jowell, used to have a lovely osteopath called Graham. He moved to Deal and commuted for a while but think he is fully based there now.  I’ve no idea if there is an osteopath based at TJ..   Dr. Stephen Johnson, now retired, used to offer dry needling (a type of acupuncture) at Melbourne Grove. Melbourne Grive also had a minor surgery facility but I’ve no idea if that now exists at Tessa Jowell.

[Mystic Mog]

Graham was laid off after over 20 years service with the nhs, with just short notice.  He is a great loss. ☹️

[gabys1st]

On 29/03/2024 at 10:16, Lynne said:

Of course, people's experiences may vary, but I'm afraid I can't recommend the DMC on Crystal Palace Rd.

Cant' reccomend DMC in Chadwick Rod either

[Penguin68]

I was due for a (surgery requested) routine FTF medicine check this morning - cancelled at 7:20am by the FHRGP surgery. 'Apologies, staff sickness - schedule another'. Amazingly I got to the top of the phone queue 12 or so minutes after 8.00am - but was then told it would be impossible to book another appointment now - there were none showing, and I should call back in 3 weeks ('or so') time to try to book another, when appointments were next likely to appear. Perhaps explains why I got to the top of the queue so fast. So - perhaps Forest Hill Road Group Practice should be off your list as well? It wasn't a GP I was due to see, by the way. Not actually seen one of those since before Covid, but I did speak on the phone to someone who might have been a qualified GP a year or so ago. But only recently (qualified), I'm guessing.

[Froglander]

11 hours ago, Mystic Mog said:

Graham was laid off after over 20 years service with the nhs, with just short notice.  He is a great loss. ☹️

Oh, when was he laid off? I know he used to be a nurse but I thought he was a self employed osteopath.  

[FranketyFrank]

Thanks all. We have found Gardens to be very friendly, helpful and efficient thus far 🙂 

[malumbu]

There are numerous threads on this site complaining about surgeries, but the Gardens seems popular and many of us are content to continue using FHGP through thick and thin.  I sense that most surgeries across the country have issues for a variety of structural reasons - growing demand as we age, delays caused by Covid and further pressures due to long Covid, successive government's not sorting out social care and staff shortages.  It's surprising that anyone would wish to be a GP....

I can remember waiting at the surgery hours to see my doctor, and 30 mins plus for a prescription at the pharmacist.  That was the late 70s.

[alice]

FHGP have adopted a new E consult system, less cumbersome and convoluted

[Mystic Mog]

1 hour ago, Froglander said:

Oh, when was he laid off? I know he used to be a nurse but I thought he was a self employed osteopath.  

He was laid off last December but still does private work in Deal.

[Froglander]

10 minutes ago, Mystic Mog said:

He was laid off last December but still does private work in Deal.

Oh, sorry to hear that.

[Pugwash]

Graham was the self employed osteopath at The Gardens a few years ago. I saw him twice and he gave me acupuncture as well. I knew he lived quite far out (near/on the coast).