Victoria Medical Centre Rant

Been with them for years, and every year it gets worse.

Need an appointment? No chance. Call us early in the morning for an emergency appointment, it's the only way. Problem is their phoneline queuing capacity is zilch and it just buzzes as engaged 30 (literally 30 in my calls log) times. When you eventually get through - all gone. Same at lunch for afternoon emergency slots. This is a recurring theme.

Fair enough, I'll blame most of that on NHS cuts that are out of their hands (not the ***** phone capacity though). However, the below is all up to them and it grinds my gears to no end:

My daughter is on a prescription milk due to cow's milk allergy. It's the only milk she can have, and the doctor for some reason refuses to put it on repeat - fair enough I'll deal with acute prescriptions. But I work unpredictable hours and getting to the surgery is a mare. I ring them up, ask for it to be put through for me to collect a couple of days later. No problem for people I know at different surgeries.

"Sorry sir we can't take prescription requests over the phone, you'll have to come in to ask for it". They literally ask you to take a chunk out of your day to come up and ask them the exact same thing in person, despite there being no identification requests or any other legitimate reason. I asked the receptionist why this arbitrary policy and the response is "we'd be too busy on the phone all the time". Yet... if people are coming in to ask... aren't you the same level of busy dealing with them at the desk? The only difference is a massive inconvenience for everyone else! I now have to take time out of work to make it to the surgery before closing to sort something that would take 30 seconds on the phone.

Also tried to get an appointment for my wife for the next couple of weeks while I was on the phone. No dice. The appointment slots for in 2 weeks time are empty, but we're "not allowed to book for them yet". Then as soon as they 'become available' they're filled before you can fart.

Red tape, silly rules and pointless inconvenience.

</rant>

 

I'd switch surgeries if I was you

 

Was the same at Dodworth we moved house moved to Kendray, so far no probs at all

 

Same problems at all surgeries GC... Government cut backs.. Hunt the.... C##t implemented and it will only get worse..

 

It's their surgery-specific policy of refusing to do anything on the phone that gets me most - no excuse for that IMO. You're right though, it's gone downhill everywhere since the Tories got in.

 

I used to have this problem all the time. However, there is a way round it. When they ask you if it's a medical emergency say yes.

 

They've recently changed rules over prescriptions How's and ifs... that's why you can't do it over the phone... data protection rules according to what I got told when I tried getting repeat prescription sorted by phone

 

Don’t bother switching. Hillbrow surgery is just as bad. I asked to see a certain doctor last week and was told the first appointment was 31-07-19. It is virtually impossible to see the doctor twice on the trot

 

They wonder why A and E's are filling up.

 

Did you just say Medical?

 

Don't know if you can but I order my prescriptions online

 

You can arrange for prescriptions to go straight to the pharmacy. However, you still have to post it at reception at the surgery

 

I'll march myself to the naughty step!

 

Same mate order online pick up 2 days later from chemist.

 

Popular one is " Pharmacy2u" I think isn't it Sparky.? From what I remember we used it for my wife's Mum. Its a free service administered by the NHS I believe. GC's problem in using it, would appear to be that his daughter prescription is not on repeat.

The cuts to NHS and GP budgets has certainly had a marked effect. After my illness, the hospital put me on an eating plan to build me up. I also had to brush my teeth with a toothpaste made by Colgate with a very high fluoride content.

About two months into the regime my GP phoned to say they needed to switch me from the Fresubin drinks which are not dissimilar to the Weetabix drinks you can buy in the Supermarket and the Duraphat toothpaste. I agreed, but realised that the new stuff that had been prescribed was nowhere near the quality of the previous types I'd used.

I phoned to ask if the first brands could be supplied in the future and was told that the practice had moved to alternative brands on a whole list of products. To me that meant one thing, they were saving brass.

 

It's the same everywhere now. We just have too few GPs as the Tries are running the NHS down. Up to 6-7 years ago my Doctor was a 1 man surgery. He had a 98% patient satisfaction rating. Even though he had more patients than he should have you never needed to make an appointment. You just called in, sat down and waited. He quit saying the Government had made it too difficult for 1 man surgeries to survive. He has worked as a part time locum ever since. I haven't seen a Doctor in 14 months just Practitioner Nurses and Health Care Assistants. Because of a medical condition I have to visit the surgery 4 times a year I also have to book my own blood tests for a week before I have a Hospital Consultation and that is a nightmare. The NHS is not safe in Tory hands.

 

Also been with them for years(about 25) Touch wood I've not had a problem as yet.

 

Lot of misconceptions about Drs surgeries and NHS.
For a start every surgery is a privately owned business who subcontract to the NHS.
The reason why they limit appointments amongst others is they get fined for missed appointments so by not letting too many out they can control this.

My wife is on repeat prescriptions, she rings up and they are delivered to house, has to go in every 6 months to see Doc.
My Grandaughter is on the special Milk and they just go into doctors for hers(limited qty is sometimes an issue).

 

Only ever heard bad stuff about them, for example: https://www.chemistanddruggist.co.u...macy2u-demands-all-npa-member-contact-details

 

Its catchment area is one of the most densly populated areas of Barnsley..

Saying that, ive in the rare times ive required an appointment got one the same day.

As for blaming the Tories.. GPs are from memory private businesses....