Dulwich Medical Centre

[Cedges]

But she didn't ask for a non urgent appointment and she was told what to do if her symptoms got worse. By what Millie has written here, I can also imagine her attitude on the phone and if i was the person on the other end of that phone, I'd probably have found myself being a downsight less helpful than the person who was.

[hpsaucey]

Cedges Wrote:

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> But she didn't ask for a non urgent appointment

> and she was told what to do if her symptoms got

> worse. By what Millie has written here, I can also

> imagine her attitude on the phone and if i was the

> person on the other end of that phone, I'd

> probably have found myself being a downsight less

> helpful than the person who was.

Really?? She seems to have ben polite until the doctor/ nurse and pharmacist options were exhausted...

[Cedges]

Reading between some lines.

[civilservant]

I'd have loved to join the chorus of 'it ain't good enough, DMC' especially since discovering today that I wss no longer registered as a patient there - however, the young man behind the reception counter sorted it all out and even got my repeat prescription issued without me asking

having failed in the recent past to get a same-day appontment for a sick child, I'm reserving judgement on DMC, but want to give credit where it's due

[millie7uk]

thanks for your advice - much appreciated

[millie7uk]

No need to read between the lines Cedges, you are looking to apportion blame on the caller i.e. Me, sorry to disappoint you, but I was perfectly calm and polite to the receptionist just bewildered and frustrated at the lack of help when I was ill, I was not rude and do not blame the receptionist for the lack of advice but I do blame the DMC for not training the first point of contact with the public, what a wonderful imagination you seem to possess, perhaps with your attitude you should consider applying for the job as receptionist.

[Cedges]

Fairs but as I deal with irate people all day in my senior role, I think I'll avoid the reception job ta.

[hpsaucey]

Cedges Wrote:

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> Fairs but as I deal with irate people all day in

> my senior role, I think I'll avoid the reception

> job ta.

NOT fairs - you ascribed negative motives and imagined conversation where there wasn't any evidence of it

from 'what Millie has written here'. :(

[Cedges]

Fairs = fair point made. So yes. Fairs.

ETA. Actually, I guess fairs better translates to "Fair enough".

[Sue]

Cedges Wrote:

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> Fairs but as I deal with irate people all day in

> my senior role, I think I'll avoid the reception

> job ta.

You can't be very senior if you've got time to post on the ED forum during your working day :)) :)) :))

[bawdy-nan]

I was wondering if there had been any information gleaned about this ... is DMC meeting the NHS benchmark of 72 appointments available per 1000 registered patients per week?

bawdy-nan Wrote:

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> James, I've just been researching this a bit and I

> think the NHS benchmark is 72 appointments per

> thousand registered patients per week.

>

> According to the NHS choices website DMC has 10554

> registered patients which should mean 760

> appointments a week or 150 a day in a 5 day week.

> If you assume 6 appointments an hour that means

> there should be 25 hours of gp appointments every

> day, irrespective of letter writing etc.

>

> Is this being provided? If not, why?

[Cedges]

Just highly efficient Sue!

[Sue]

Cedges Wrote:

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> Just highly efficient Sue!

:))

[Sue]

OK I'm joining the pissed off with DMC contingent.

I just tried to book an appointment online, only to get the following message:

There are currently no general appointments available. Please select one of the other appointment types your practice is offering from the section below.

NO general appointments available ?!?!?!?

The "other appointment types" are: Extended hours; Routine; To be booked by Duty Dr; unplanned admissions

So then I tried Extended hours. At least this time I was offered an appointment, however the only one on offer was a ten minute slot on the evening of 14 August, which I cannot go to. No other options.

So I guess I will have to join the early morning queue to be slotted in somewhere tomorrow, thus taking a slot away from somebody whose need is probably more urgent than mine.

What's the point of having an online booking system if there aren't any appointments available?!?!?!

ETA: AND they say on the page "If you are unsure of what the appointment type means, please check with your practice." Ah, good idea. Phone DMC and take up their time with a query which could have been ANSWERED ON THIS PAGE OF THEIR WEBSITE. GRRRRRRRR.

[Jeremy]

Sue Wrote:

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> OK I'm joining the pissed off with DMC contingent.

Wow. They've managed to annoy their only satisfied patient!

[DulwichFox]

I went there this morning. 07.45. 4 people in front of me. doors opened 07.55

Got an appointments for 11.20 today

This seems the only way to guarantee a same day appointment.

Foxy.

[Sue]

Jeremy Wrote:

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

> Sue Wrote:

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

> -----

> > OK I'm joining the pissed off with DMC

> contingent.

>

> Wow. They've managed to annoy their only satisfied

> patient!

Yes, it would be funny if it wasn't!

[Sue]

DulwichFox Wrote:

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

> I went there this morning. 07.45. 4 people in

> front of me. doors opened 07.55

>

> Got an appointments for 11.20 today

>

> This seems the only way to guarantee a same day

> appointment.

>

I don't even want a same day appointment.

An appointment at a time I'm free in the next month would be fine.

So now I will have to take a same day appointment from somebody who may need one much more urgently than me, because of their crap online appointments system.

[DulwichFox]

If you go in.. You can always get an appointment if your request is not urgent and you can wait.

You just need to pop in.. 2 minute walk Sue. ?

Lot quicker than all that typing and time you spent on the phone. :)

Foxy

[Sue]

DulwichFox Wrote:

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> If you go in.. You can always get an appointment

> if your request is not urgent and you can wait.

>

> You just need to pop in.. 2 minute walk Sue. ?

> Lot quicker than all that typing and time you

> spent on the phone. :)

>

Fox, you've missed my point.

Yes of course I can just pop in to get a same day appointment.

Yes of course it's just round the corner from where I live.

But I've already explained twice above that I would rather book an appointment further ahead so that I am not taking a same day appointment from somebody else who might need it more urgently.

And the point is, that I can't.

And nor can people who live further away and/or are not retired, for whom "just popping in" to then be given an appointment later on that day could mean taking a whole day off work for something which is not urgent. Not good.

[DulwichFox]

Sue Wrote:

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> Fox, you've missed my point.

>

> Yes of course I can just pop in to get a same day

> appointment.

>

> Yes of course it's just round the corner from

> where I live.

>

> But I've already explained twice above that I

> would rather book an appointment further ahead so

> that I am not taking a same day appointment from

> somebody else who might need it more urgently.

It works both ways...

Say you get an appointment for next Monday... Fine.

Someone becomes ill over the W/E. so they turn up on Monday morning 8.00 only to find one of the

available slots for that day has already been taken.

That's why they operate a Turn up in the morning and get a slot system.

No system is perfect.. but many surgeries have worked out this the best system when you have too many patients.

Which is the real problem.

Foxy

[DulwichFox]

Like I said I got an appointment this morning, saw a doctor, got a referral for an x-ray on my knee

which I injured while on holiday in Turkey.

Called Kings .. have an appointment for 5.45 this evening..

That's not a bad result. The NHS does work.

Foxy.

[yeknomyeknom]

DMC CP keep sending me letters saying I am endangering my child by not immunising him and to contact them immediately. He is fully immunised. They clearly do not keep their records up to date. I have contacted them re this. But the letters keep coming.

[James Barber]

Hi yeknowmyeknom,

If you email me separately I'd like to take your case up. if DMC CP records are that rubbish equally other may be recoded who haven't had the right immunisations.

[Pugwash]

Healthwatch Southwark will be giving a talk and receiving comments about local residents' experiences of health and social care on Tuesday 8th September.

The meeting is organised by the Barry Area Residents' Association (BARA) and is open to call Dulwich residents.

8 pm for 8.15 start. East Dulwich Community Centre, Darrell Road. SE22 8ND.

This centre is next door to the DMC - entrance in Darrell Road,