Dulwich Medical Centre

[lemonellen]

DMC Healthcare Wrote:

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> From talking to patients we know there is some

> confusion and irritation about the triage process.

> Where patients phone in the morning, they will be

> called back by a doctor and either be given a

> same-day appointment, which we do in appropriate

> cases, or directed to one of our nurses or

> prescribing pharmacists.

Herein lies the problem DMC (or one of them). You may think that this is what's happening but it bears no relation to my experience. In 7 years I have never been offered a call back from a doctor when trying to get an appointment for something more pressing than an appointment in 3 weeks will allow. If I've explained that the problem is urgent I've been told to go to A&E. Or a just 'sorry, we can't help'. It was a pharmacist who first told me about the walk in centre in Peckham, when I asked a DMC receptionist about this recently she said it had closed and there was another in New Cross, maybe, but not really sure. All in all a shambles.

[Pengui]

Not since 2012 have I experienced the system DMC claims below. Three years ago I would hit redial for 20 minutes, wait on hold for another 10, then usually get an appointment.

About 1.5 years ago I would hit redial for 1/2 hour or more only to be put on hold and eventually told there were no appointments. This has happened repeatedly, and I would usually be advised go to the walk-in clinic or wait until after 6:00 and call SELDOC. Never have I been directed to a nurse or pharmacist. Once a SELDOC doctor scolded me for using their service for an prescription refill that required a doctor check-up. I explained that I could not get an appointment for weeks and was advised by DMC staff to call SELDOC. The doctor said this was naughty of DMC! I have only received a callback from a DMC doctor once -- after begging the receptionist to give my son an appointment so we could get a referral letter to a private doctor! The DMC doctor who phoned was lovely and set up an appointment to treat my son.

This is the process my family has used to get care for the last 1.5 years until last week when I learned they had stopped filling my child's asthma prescription because we had been mistakenly dropped from the practice.

DMC Healthcare Wrote:

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> From talking to patients we know there is some

> confusion and irritation about the triage process.

> Where patients phone in the morning, they will be

> called back by a doctor and either be given a

> same-day appointment, which we do in appropriate

> cases, or directed to one of our nurses or

> prescribing pharmacists. We are facing the same

> systemic pressures as other London and Dulwich

> GPs, as described by Dr Rosemary Leonard speaking

> on TV this week. There will be new information

> going up on the practice website. We find that

> patients accept the clinical triage and the need

> to red flag certain symptoms early in the morning,

> once we explain it to them. Please be assured we

> are working very hard to deal with the current

> situation.

[hpsaucey]

What are the chances that the Guptas have read this thread??

'DMC Healthcare' - perhaps you can let us know what they think??

HP

[Penguin68]

I recall some whining by the DMC Healthcare poster that if it wasn't for no-shows everything would be ros(ier) - maybe if it was possible to get through to the practice to cancel appointments no longer necessary (so much time has lapsed patient is better, dead or has found someone to treat them) then there would be fewer missed appointments - no one in their right minds is going to hang on as long (or dial so frequently) or actually go round to the practice just to cancel.

[Pugwash]

A comment we often use in my work place with medical staff who are not 'co operating' or failing to respond/act is.

That ' when I have to compile a report to the coroners office- I will have to mention your response.....'

Very often gets a response quickly

[Sue]

lilolil Wrote:

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> We were next door to DMC. The child in question

> had other medical issues,one of which was a mild

> allergy to bee stings. His lips and tongue were

> tingling slightly. If we had thought it to be an

> absolute emergency, then of course we would have

> rang for an ambulance.

> Amazing how some people can be so callous

Sorry if you consider me callous, which I think is a rather harsh judgment, but I stand by what I said.

[lilolil]

Sue, I didn't point the finger at anyone in particular and am surprised that you felt I was inferring that it was you!!!!

[MrBen]

hpsaucey Wrote:

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

> What are the chances that the Guptas have read

> this thread??

> 'DMC Healthcare' - perhaps you can let us know

> what they think??

>

> HP

My guess is they won't care too much and are probably busy looking at the new Aston Vanquish whilst keeping the missus in Jimmy Choos. All ultimately paid for by us local tax payers.

[bridgetm]

I was with DMC when I first moved to East Dulwich and experienced the same terrible system and really poor service. I had one terrible experience with a member of the medical staff which made me make a formal complaint and leave that day.

I moved to another local practice who are fantastic and offer a really family-friendly surgery. I can make an appointment most of the time, the reception staff are respectful and happy to help and the Dr's are great. I would urge anyone who is frustrated to register with a new surgery. It doesn't need to be a battle every time you need to see a Dr. Of course there are always busy times of the year but DMC is broken on every level and by the sounds of it continues to be that way year after year.

[Jessie]

After a prolonged recent illness, I have found DMC massively frustrating for all the above reasons, bar one GP who has been extraordinary and also a shout-out to a brilliant admin person there called Sandra who went above & beyond for me.

[Jack.asiliman]

It is really dreadful and seriously worrying. Everyone must keep registering their complaint as that is the only way anyone will look into this. The trouble is there is such a shortage of doctors surgeries that they will continue to keep registering new patients as the old leave so keep registering complaints please for all our sakes.

[Azalea]

This must also be having a serious knock on effect on other local surgeries as DMC patients register elsewhere and it becomes harder to make appointments at these places.

[Gubodge]

I left DMC a couple of years ago, the final straw being when I was unable to even book a telephone appointment less than 2 weeks ahead. I joined the Gardens, where I have had no problems at all in making appointments, whether urgent or routine. Some time after I joined, presumably as a result of the influx of similarly disgruntled DMC evacuees, the Gardens reduced the size of their catchment area for new patients.

That is how a surgery should work, with the case load being kept at sustainable levels to ensure a certain quality of customer service, not to mention patient safety. It may be that all London surgeries are facing "the same systemic pressures", but some are managing them in a way that does not compromise patient care; nor overload other services such as A&E and Seldoc. As DMC seem unable or unwilling to prioritise patients over profit, lets hope CQC come visiting soon.

[megano]

I am relieved to see I am not the only one. This has confirmed that I too will move, it is appalling. This problem has been going on years and actually seems to have been worse over the last couple of weeks so whatever you are doing isn't good enough. Try harder.

[LalKJ]

Another disgruntled user of DMC - I have had cause to try to use them twice this week (most unusual, we are usually a low doctors visit household!), and have had a very unsatisfactory experience both times.

Firstly, I have a 9 month old, who had pus dripping from his ear, on calling the DMC, I was told that an appointment was available three and a half weeks away! when I politely explained that I didn't think that was acceptable for an infant with clearly a bad ear infection, I was met with very rude grumblings and final managed to get a cancellation appointment 4 days later - whilst i appreciate this is considerably quicker than most people, I still feel that was too long for the circumstances.

The second time, my 4 year old had a very bad tummy bug for 10 days and needed to be seen by a doctor, again, the same offer of an appointment in three weeks time, and no solution otherwise. In the end I had to visit Seldoc a day later and eventually sent down to A&E, but they said this was something the GP should have dealt with.

In each case, I didn't expect an immediate or same day appointment but given the circumstances within a couple of days - the booking system is clearly not fit for purpose.

I was told in both cases that I could always turn up the next morning and queue up from 7:30 - when I explained that I have three children, 2 of whom were ill at the time and another to get to school, and that from this forum, even early queuing does not guarantee an appointment the receptionist said "fine then, your choice, try and call at 8 but i doubt you'll be able to get through. You'll have to have a least 2 of you repeat dialling perhaps for 30 minutes and then have up to another 30 minutes waiting for the call to be answered". Even if this method is acceptable, which i think it is completely unacceptable, I was then told that even if I do make it through to the receptionist that doesn't get me an appointment, all being able to get through now entitles you to is a call back from a nurse or a doctor at some point during the day - which totally prevents you from going about your day as you are on tenterhooks as to when you are going to get called back and worried about dropping everything to race to DMC on the rare chance you are one of the lucky ones to be seen on the same day.

I completed a feedback card last time i was there for the box but the box was empty when i dropped it in. I had seen others complete the feedback cars, so I can only presume that the staff remove them and not any NHS invigilators and are therefore at liberty to discard any negative responses.

Unfortunately, the NHS website suggests that DMC is the only surgery for which my family are in the catchment area, so we seem stuffed.

James Barber - given the sheer number of exasperated people on here, is this something that is worth elevating to council/mp level (albeit i know our mp is not a lib dem and you are not in control of the council). This really is something that needs to be addressed urgently, and it is so frustrating to effectively not feel you can do anything about it.

Rant over!

[Cora]

Please put in an official complaint to the nhs choices complaint links/numbers listed earlier in the thread it is really important if we want action.

[James Barber]

PLEASE if any one complains reference the ongoing investigation as a result of my complaint - reference 410808

Latest feedback - hot of the press today:

DMC have to providE NHS ENgland with an action plan with evidence which is due w/e 20 March.

Interim changes made:

? DMC have transferred their most senior and experienced Practice Manager from another branch to Crystal Palace to drive through corrective procedures

? DMC are auditing their appointment system and will share this with NHS England

? DMC will be making greater use of the new access arrangements in South Dulwich

? DMC are compiling an Action Plan, which NHS England will ensure, with support, will lead to resolution of this matter.

NHS England will review the action plan and confirm if it's enough. We then track it through.

SO crucial that people complain for any unacceptable experience. And please copy me ay complaints so I can get a sense of if things are improving and whether my over arching complaint has been resolved.

[LalKJ]

Sorry James - I just got off the phone with NHS England, making my complaint, before I saw your post. I have therefore complained on the basis of my message above, but apologies, didn't use your reference number. Thank you for taking this issue on.

NHS England were very helpful, so I would just echo the other calls to make sure you ring up and make a complaint if you are disgruntled - it was 5 minutes - and felt very cathartic!

Whilst I think any improvement is good news, the above interim changes seem a bit woolly - what does auditing their appointments mean I wonder. When i called up I couldn't get an appointment until three weeks later, so I just left it - will this register on any audit? Will the call waiting times be checked and audited - a lot of people have to give up once they have been waiting for such a long time? Any improvement and stipulations on them is obviously great, but I would question how a lot of this can be checked.

A simple change would be the attitude of some of the receptionists - if DMC is going to be run as a business, these are the front line of customer service and really need improving (i am not advocating sacking anyone - just a major focus on customer service and attitude - particularly when people are feeling vulnerable at the doctors) - on my last visit even one of the GPs had to apologise for the reception staff.

[catma]

Blimey - only 3 weeks for an appointment at DMC Crystal Palace rd! It was 5 weeks at the last count at DMC Chadwick Rd!

[Cora]

Yes agree, woolly....does 'greater use of access arrangements' mean more sending patients to New Cross for appointments!....

[Bic Basher]

Cora Wrote:

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> Yes agree, woolly....does 'greater use of access

> arrangements' mean more sending patients to New

> Cross for appointments!....

Indeed. Since the Hurley Group practice in Peckham is no longer a walk-in surgery and now a bog standard practice.

[yeknomyeknom]

We got a letter this week from dmc cp claiming we were endangering our childs life by not having him vaccinated for typhoid and diphtheria at 8weeks, 12 weeks and 16 weeks old and to bring him in for vaccinations immediately. My son is 2.5 yrs old and fully up to date with all vaccines. Glad to see they are in control of our personal records.

[Penguin68]

There is some irony here, I believe. GP practices get bonused (more money for the owners) if they meet certain treatment targets, such as vaccinations, check-ups of the elderly etc. Presumably DMC is searching for more income sources, but its own poor record keeping and processes mean that it cannot demonstrate that it's actually delivering the bonused activities. My heart bleeds.

[buggie]

Bic Basher Wrote:

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> Cora Wrote:

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

> -----

> > Yes agree, woolly....does 'greater use of

> access

> > arrangements' mean more sending patients to New

> > Cross for appointments!....

>

> Indeed. Since the Hurley Group practice in

> Peckham is no longer a walk-in surgery and now a

> bog standard practice.

Actually, what was Lister walk-in centre is now available for appt's if your GP hasn't got capacity to see you as an emergency case that day, so, if DMC were better organised, the poster above whose baby had pus coming out of the ear

should've been ref'd there for an appt. My baby had croup a few months back & my surgery didn't have any available appts so offered me an appt at the Lister & was amazed that they could (and did) see me within the hour.

If DMC engaged with using this properly (& if patients were ok with visiting a different surgery for an acute problem) it cold resolve alot of the angst their patients experienced.

[mima08]

buggie Wrote:

> Actually, what was Lister walk-in centre is now available for appt's if your GP hasn't got

> capacity to see you as an emergency case that day, so, if DMC were better organised, the poster above

> whose baby had pus coming out of the ear should've been ref'd there for an appt. My baby had croup a few months back & my surgery didn't have any available appts so offered me an appt at the Lister & was amazed that they could (and did)

> see me within the hour.

>

> If DMC engaged with using this properly (& if patients were ok with visiting a different surgery for an acute problem) it cold resolve alot of the angst their patients experienced.

I am really curious about this, because a few weeks ago, my son had very high fever and was behaving in ways to really worry me. When I phoned the DMC they didn't have any appointment (to be fair it was in the afternoon when I phoned) and when I asked about the Lister, they told me there was no such arrangement as the one described above, the only option I had to go to A&E or the walk-in center in New Cross. Ended up going to Seldoc a few of hours later....