Melbourne Grove Medical Practice

I may start a new thread about this, but basically the Southwark PCT (Primary Care Trust) are asking for feedback about their plans (already probably done and dusted) to install four PolyClinics (though they've given them a new name) in Southwark; one in Dulwich, one in Elephant, and I can't remember where the other two are. Rotherhithe and Borough maybe.

Anyway, I argued against it because my GPs (Nunhead Surgery) are brilliant, run by caring humans who won't happily transfer to 084x phone numbers and who are independent. But you may have other opinions. I don't have time right now but I am sure if you go into the Southwark PCT website you can get a form sent to you to comment on. And maybe at the surgery itself you can ask for one.

I have been a patient here for a year nad half now - and I must admit to never actually having seen a doctor! I agree about the rudeness and lack of customer service.

Maybe everyone should just leave and change doctors??

This highlights the problem of job security.

It should be a simple task to sack the offenders, and replace with pleasant amenable employees.

Because of all the staff protectionism, it is now a major headache for employers to rid themselves of incompetent,

truculent, obnoxious, offensive and costly incumbents.

Firstly, sorry this is a bit long!!!(!)

I echo the concerns above... I became a patient of the Melbourne Grove practice about 2 yrs ago. The two times I have seen doctors (Dr Ackland and Dr Johnson) they have ben exemplary and well above any GP experience I have had elsewhere.

HOWEVER, and this is a big however, the appointment booking system is a disaster. I understand why they have had to bring this in ("too many people taking up the doctors' time over snivels and therefore little time left for those who genuinely need to see a doctor") but the current system is not working, for patients that is.

1. I teach so it is often impossible to call me back, as I am not contactable when I am with students. You can not call the nurse back if you miss a call, so how do I make it work for me if I am juggle work and health issues??? I am sure many others are in similar situations.

2. To have someone call you back when you are in a meeting in a public place (even when you tell them so) and to be put in a position where it is neigh impossible not to mention private matters (in this case my periods) is DREADFUL - insensitive and inappropriate. I was in lunch time meeting with clients and had to leap up and dash off, half way through a sentence, to hover in the loos so I could talk in private.

3. And what happened to patient confidentially... so it's fine for them to keep confidence about our health issues, but is deemed perfectly OK to put their patients in a position where they have to discuss private matters in a public environment. Not right.

4. A friend of mine, who also uses the practice and was politely complaining about the appointment system, was called a ?rassclut? by receptionist, definitely not the sort of language or behaviour one would expect from a doctors? receptionist.

5. Another friend was also told that, as she had not seen a doctor for some years, they would have to take her off the register(so be warned healthy EDers). When she said she could not help ?not being ill?, they said that she would need to make more effort to come in a see a doctor in future. They were NOT joking... bizarre beyond belief!!!

4. A friend of mine, who also uses the practice and was politely complaining about the appointment system, was called a ?rassclut? by receptionist, definitely not the sort of language or behaviour one would expect from a doctors? receptionist.

Shocking but not surprising. In most places if you called a customer that (and what is a patient if not a customer, the money doesn't come directly from us but a practice with no patients would get no funding) you would get disciplined. Manners and professionalism means absolutely nothing to them.

Ladygooner Wrote:

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> What is a "rassclut"?

You don't want to know. It's not very nice.

I believe "rasscluts" it is something akin to faeces becoming tangled in the hairs of one's nethers - bottom clots if you will. You might as well address a client/patient as "you pile of shit". In certain cultures it is a seriously abusive thing to say.

If this word was used, it is, in my view, bordering on a sackable offence. At the very least the perpetrator of such vile language should be seriously disciplined. I may sound OTT but this is the thin end of the wedge and if you let this type of behaviour go, then goodness knows what we'll get next.

Melbourne Grove Surgery in its current form is a disaster. I too have found the reception staff lippy with a whole lot of attitude and really quite unsuitable for the job they have been recruited to do. At the very least they need to be sent away to do intensive customer training and to learn the very basics in good manners. And I won't even touch the diagnosis by phone issue because few have anything to say in its favour. The cost-cutting "experiment" has been a complete failure.

I'm a patient and I could'nt believe I had to be called back by a 'clinician' to justify why I would like to see a doctor. It is very inconvenient to have this call-back system if you work, and not to mention having to discuss your medical problems in public.

Whenever I've needed an appointment, I've told the receptionist I'm not prepared to discuss my problem over the phone - this made no difference however, and still had to wait for a call back. When I get called back I tell them I won't discuss my problem over the phone and they usually just sound a bit stumped and make an appointment.

Also had big problems trying to see a female doctor, apparently she is only available on Thursdays and she is always booked for the evenings weeks in advance. When I suggested I see a nurse instead, evenings are for emergencies only. So what are you supposed to do if you work?!

When I finally got an appointment I was sat in the waiting room for an hour and a half. When people that had came in after me were coming and going, I asked the receptionists what was going on. I was ignored for a while and when they eventually acknowledged me, they were very rude and dismissive. They told me I would be the next in... I wasn't. If it wasn't for the amount of hassle getting the appointment and leaving work early, I would have walked out.

Honestly the worst service I've ever experienced.

Mikecg Wrote:

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> They have changed the way it works down there, and

> quite frankly discussing symptoms with a

> patronising receptionist and waiting for a Doctor

> to call you back is a complete fas. I wont go to

> them, I just go to the Chemist and say to the

> pharmacist, I've got these symptoms what do you

> recommend, and they give me what I need, I don't

> go to the Doctors unless I really am sick.

sorry to be cheeky Mikecg, but isn't than the point "I don't

> go to the Doctors unless I really am sick'.

got it Mikecg... you're so right(!)

CC

tonyw3 Wrote:

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> I know that there has been a lot of chatter about

> "Melbourne Grove Medical Practice" on the forum.

> But I believe that the service (if you can call it

> that) is getting worse. Who can we go to about

> getting CONCORDIA out? Who can we complain to

> about this very poor service that we are now

> getting? Can we start with an online petition on

> this forum? Any ideas?

I'm with you all the way.

The deterioration of the Practice is the inevitable outcome of the reforms to the GP contracts that were negotiated back in 2004. This brought about sweeping changes to the method of remuneration for GP's. The GPs new contracts were negotiated by a special committee from the BMA. The two main negotiators were Dr John Chisholm and Dr Simon Fradd and, would you believe, THEY ARE NOW DIRECTORS of CONCORDIA HEALTH SERVICES - who now operate several surgeries - including Melbourne Grove Medical Practice through a limited company. Nice one.

Dr Chisholm (former head of the BMA) and Dr Fradd are very capable individuals and they totally out-negotiated the Government on this. This brought about easily achievable targets and generous financial incentives. So the whole thing is now being run for profit maximisation. The results are obvious. The most notable are:-

1. GPs now get paid more if they initiate more tests/checks - be it a blood test, blood pressure check whatever -even though it may not be necessary. So the result is massive queues down at the hospital every morning with people waiting for blood tests. Same with X-rays. Hence the huge increase in the national health budget.

2. Delegation of numerous medical duties to nurses - eg BP checks are now done by nurses.

3. GPs remuneration has shot up - with some GP's pulling in as much as ?250,000 pa.

4. GPs were allowed to opt out of evening and weekend duties.

Who says targets don't work? They've worked rather well for Chisholm and Fradd!

So why should they care a stuff about the patients when they can make that sort of money?