Jump to content

Recommended Posts

The CQC investigation report came out last week and concludes that in all areas but "care" the practice "requires improvement". The main problem highlighted over and over in the report is the difficulty in obtaining an appointment...


http://www.cqc.org.uk/location/1-565650623#accordion-1


Though still not displaying its rating on the website as required by the CQC despite the penalty for not doing so being a fine. Wonder if they've got the posters up in the surgery ....?

  • 3 weeks later...

I was pretty gobsmacked this morning when I phoned DMC for an appointment (for something not urgent) expecting to wait weeks, and got one for Monday morning.


Credit where credit's due, I think that's pretty damn good.


And I just got a text reminder, as well!

Sue Wrote:

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

> I was pretty gobsmacked this morning when I phoned

> DMC for an appointment (for something not urgent)

> expecting to wait weeks, and got one for Monday

> morning.

>

> Credit where credit's due, I think that's pretty

> damn good.

>

> And I just got a text reminder, as well!



Amazing. And it's only taken a CQC investigation and a three-year campaign on the forum.

To continue in a positive vein ....


I was seen almost on time. I had several things to ask about, because I was so sure I'd have to wait weeks for an appointment I had put off making one.


I came out with two separate referrals to specialists elsewhere, a second appointment at DMC early next week to look at another thing in more detail because there wasn't enough time for it all in a single appointment, and the suggestion I have an overdue flu jab which I'd forgotten all about.


A nurse came in and did the flu jab there and then.


Well impressed. Apart from feeling I am finally disintegrating :)


The appointment for next week was made while I was with the GP.

Sue Wrote:

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

> I don't really care what it's taken if it

> continues like that.



Well you should care Sue - its been an absolute shambles of a service for years and they have taken the people for a ride to fill their own pockets with public money.

It took me over three months to get an appointment with the nurse after they cancelled twice on the day of the appointment, when I had already booked time off work. Really hope they have improved... I've always had good care from the GPs, it just seems way too busy.

Mick Mac Wrote:

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

> Sue Wrote:

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

> -----

> > I don't really care what it's taken if it

> > continues like that.

>

>

> Well you should care Sue - its been an absolute

> shambles of a service for years and they have

> taken the people for a ride to fill their own

> pockets with public money.




I "should" care?


I think - particularly given poor reports on here of several other local surgeries - that we should be grateful for an improvement rather than complaining about the past.


There are issues nationwide with getting GP appointments, and I don't think it can be helping the morale of anybody at DMC to have constant griping on here even when they appear to be making efforts to improve.


Maybe I was lucky.


If you aren't, you can always change surgeries, though I'd be worried that anywhere else might be just as bad if not worse.

lorraineliyanage Wrote:

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

> I think you got lucky with that appointment. My

> partner called this morning and got an appointment

> for the 23rd of March.




In that case I got lucky with two appointments.


My one yesterday was only made last week, and the one I have for next Tuesday was made yesterday.


Possibly there's some age filter, and I got early appointments because I'm so ancient :)

Whichever practice you use if you experience poor service complain.


With regards to DMC I made a formal complaint about it citing several pieces of casework residents agreed I could do this about and other copied me complaints they made. Such practices are in receipt of a lot of public money and it shouldn't take long to right such obvious wrongs.


Fab Sue you got an appointment but it seems a ridiculous way to manage a publicly funded service.


GP's are almost universally private businesses. Ironic so many are against further privatisation but never ask for this private part the NHS to be made properly public again. The school model might be better where GP's are employees and the school have governors or trustees volunteering to guide and steer them as public bodies.

Certainly in Dulwich the current model appears very broken.

I'm sure many people are now getting quick appointments at DMC.


However human nature being what it is, people tend to complain about bad things, but don't tend to praise good things.


So if there has been a general improvement it may not be reflected in posts on here, especially as most patients probably don't post on the forum or even know about it.

Good to hear people getting bookings in reasonable timescales.

It shows what we could have always had if the owners weren't maximising profits at the expense of very ppor patient experience.

Please people report any problems with this that would imply this was a temporary if welcome blip of good service.

Mick Mac Wrote:

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

> James Barber Wrote:

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

> -----

>

>

> > It shows what we could have always had if the

> > owners weren't maximising profits at the

> expense

> > of very ppor patient experience.

>

> Exactly.



Well, that's what comes with privatisation. What do you expect?


Wait till the Tories privatise the rest of the NHS.

BrandNewGuy Wrote:

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

> But the situation is complicated by the fact, as

> James said, that nearly all GP surgeries have

> always been private businesses. So most were only

> ever 'contracted' to the NHS.



Clearly I need to read things more thoroughly :))

Out of interest - and if it's a very obvious question, apologies - does anyone know if practices receive funding based on patient numbers and are there audits completed to verify they aren't fudging the numbers? I only ask as I left DMC two years ago as a patient - due to the exceptionally poor admin / ever changing way of securing an appointment / never getting an appointment - and receive regular letters saying I am due a test and check up for a condition I have. I have repeatedly told them I left ages ago but the letters continue. The last one was a couple of weeks ago and I said I would raise a formal complaint if I received another. If I had the time and energy I would also be asking why they have retained my details when they have no need to - surely in contravention of some data protection legislation?

This morning was bad. I'm still trying to get through on the phone but get an engaged tone. I used to be put on hold. Has their system changed?

Once I do get through I'll be asking how to complain properly because 50+ redials over an hour is very poor.

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
  • Latest Discussions

    • We’ve got a gap on the roof of our shed that needs patching  don’t want to buy a huge roll so hoping someone has some leftover  happy to collect/reimburse 
    • I never said I thought it was targeted or deliberate. There also has never been a “stand off” or confrontation, we’ve spoken to them in a friendly manner about it. Our experience is they don’t seem to care. That’s the frustrating thing for us, if someone politely raises a concern at least take a second to reflect. Treat others how you would want to be treated.  I don’t want them to lose their job, far from it. But considering it could cost me a days work to fix any damage, I’m within my right to try prevent it.   
    • The SE22 Evri delivery family are lovely, and always say hello wherever we spot them in the area. We gave them a box of chocolates during Covid as they were working their socks off at Christmas
    • What was he doing on the stage at Glastonbury? Or on the stage at the other concert in Finsbury Park? Grinning like a Cheshire cat whilst pissed and stoned 20 somethings on the promise of free internet sung-- Oh Jeremy Corbyn---  What were his policies for Northern mining towns with no jobs or infrastructure? Free Internet and university places for youngsters. What were his other manifesto pledges? Why all the ambiguity over Brexit?  I didn't like Thatcher, Blair or May or Tony but I respected them as politicians because they stood by what they believed in. I respect all politicians across the board that stick to their principles. Corbyn didn't and its why he got  annihilated at the polls. A socialist, anti imperialist and anti capitalist that said he voted for an imperialist and pro capitalist cabal. He refused to say how he'd vote over and over again until the last knockings. He did so to appease the Islington elite and middle class students he was courting. The same people that were screaming that Brexit was racist. At the same time the EU were holding black and Asian immigrants in refugee camps overseas but not a word on that! Corbyn created and courted a student union protest movement that screamed at and shouted down anyone not on the left . They claimed Starmer and the centre right of labour were tories. He didn't get elected  because he, his movement and policies were unelectable, twice. He turned out not to have the convictions of his politics and died on his own sword.    Reform won't win an election. All the idiots that voted for them to keep out Labour actually enabled Labour. They'll be back voting tory next time.    Farage wouldn't be able to make his millions if he was in power. He's a very devious shyster but I very much doubt he'd actually want the responsibility that governance requires.
Home
Events
Sign In

Sign In



Or sign in with one of these services

Search
×
    Search In
×
×
  • Create New...