Sydenham Surgery

thebackster · Post by **thebackster** » 4 Jan 2005 11:22

Has anyone been inside the Sydenham Surgery just opposite the station on Sydenham Road?

I've just moved up to the area and told that I have to register there, but it looks pretty grim from the outside!

stuart · Post by **stuart** » 4 Jan 2005 14:27

No you don't. Personally I find that entrance a disgrace for anybody purporting to offer a professional service. Perhaps the Sydenham Society should have a word......

The question is whether the other Sydenham practices have full lists or not. Here is a useful thread of who they are:

http://forum.sydenham.org.uk/viewtopic.php?t=79

Good hunting!

thebackster · Post by **thebackster** » 4 Jan 2005 16:42

I've already called a couple of places on that thread and they both said that the Sydenham Surgery would be the one that dealt with my catchment area, and I wouldn't be able to go elsewhere unless the NHS instructed them to accept me.

To be honest I think I'd rather do the 2 hour commute to my current GP then register there. Maybe I'm being harsh but from the outside it looks pretty unhygenic.

Has anyone been brave enough / desperate enough to venture inside?

danny1973 · Post by **danny1973** » 5 Jan 2005 14:02

Hi

I had the same problem when I moved to Sydenham.

Which doctor to go too ? I was told that you have to go the one in your catchment area and mine happened to be the one by the bridge, I was gutted for obvius reasons - it looks a dump !!

Once in there though I got to register with a doctor (who was OK and had time for me) plus only the other day a had to go with my girlfriend to see the Midwife who was excellent.

So all in all it looks grim externally,needs a lick of paint internally and not too bad service once in there.

Good idea if the Sydenham Society could mention about the looks of the place though.

stuart · Post by **stuart** » 10 Jan 2005 11:37

thebackster wrote:I've already called a couple of places on that thread and they both said that the Sydenham Surgery would be the one that dealt with my catchment area, and I wouldn't be able to go elsewhere unless the NHS instructed them to accept me.

This is probably untrue.

I just checked with one of the Sydenham Green practices in Bell Green and their catchment area currently includes the whole of SE26 within Lewisham up to Jews Walk. By there you should be within the Sydenham Wells practice - so I would be amazed if anywhere in SE26 had less than a choice of at least two practices - and usually more.

They should be able to show you a map of the area they accept patients.

Julsb · Post by **Julsb** » 9 Mar 2005 10:47

Stuart, I was definitively told that the Bell Green surgery doesn't accept people from Girton Road northwards any more. If you live around Newlands Park, you have to go to the surgery on Sydenham Road.

I would really like to see something done about the state of that surgery. Maybe they should write to Changing Rooms or something.

One other update - I tried to ring yesterday to book a non-urgent appointment at the Sydenham Road surgery, and they've implemented a new system that forces patients to ring the day before they want to come in. Obviously this makes it rather more difficult to get an appointment, unless you have the kind of job that lets you sit on "redial" for half an hour first thing and doesn't mind you disappearing with less than a day's notice. I may well have to muscle my way into a surgery that offers a better patient service.

stuart · Post by **stuart** » 9 Mar 2005 13:04

Julsb wrote:Stuart, I was definitively told that the Bell Green surgery doesn't accept people from Girton Road northwards any more. If you live around Newlands Park, you have to go to the surgery on Sydenham Road.

There is more than one surgery at Bell Green. The one I use has a map which they will show on demand of their catchment area. It covered SE26 upto (AFAIR) Jews Walk. The southern border went with the Lewisham border - so it may affect which part of Newlands Park you live in.

The surgery I use is the largest one and their reception is furthest into the waiting area. Look for the name Sikorski as one of the 6/7 GPs.

Grateful if you could report back. This issue of avoiding the SydBridge practice has arisen here several times and I would not wish to be giving misleading information.

teddybear · Post by **teddybear** » 15 Mar 2005 21:23

if you live in the Lewisham part of Newlands Park and Lawrie Park Road you can register with the Sydenham Green Group Practice, they have a wide catchment area their phone number 0208 676 8836, there is another GP practice there in the building with a small reception to the right of the main waiting area, it might have been their catchment area that is smaller as that is a single GP practice

Hope you have some luck,

Julsb · Post by **Julsb** » 11 Apr 2005 09:48

ARG, I've run afoul of the Sydenham Road surgery's bloody new appointment system. NIGHTMARE. What is it with doctor's receptionists? They seem to assume that everyone's a timewaster. I miss the nurse-receptionists in my old GP's office, who was able to work out how serious your appointment need was & schedule patients intelligently.

The Clown · Post by **The Clown** » 11 Apr 2005 12:47

Agree about the new appointment system and the state of the surgery. My old surgery in N Cross also adopted the same system. All well and good if you are able to get time off work for appointments without much hassle, but difficult if you are required to give advanced notice of time off. I ended up having to go as an emergency patient to see the doctor for something that could have been handled by a nurse.

The service (once an appointment was made) was absolutely fine.

It is really the elderly and infirm though that this is a problem for. I ahve seen them struggle down to be told that they can't have an appointment yet if at all and often have to either wait for an age to be seen or go home to worry some more.

Surely a mixture of booked appointments and a triage system is a better way to go? I know that they are trying to discourage wasted visits, but a lot of that is down to better community nursing.

fishcox · Post by **fishcox** » 11 Apr 2005 13:56

when we moved from westwood hill into lawrie park road, we had to move from wells park surgery, to sydenham road surgery. which was a real drag.

wells park surgery is modern, clean, and all the doctors (bar one) were very good.

whilst the doctors in sydenham road are fine, the rest of it, including the system for booking an appointment, leaves a little to be desired.

dudachef · Post by **dudachef** » 1 Jul 2009 10:13

I rang Sydenham Surgery this morning at 9.11 am to book an urgent appointment. I was told everything was booked for today and tomorrow. Even if I want to see a doctor on Friday I have to ring back tomorrow at 8.15 am . I asked the receptionist what to do since I am not feeling well. She told me to go to the hospital. I am off work (they won't pay me either) and unable to get antibiotics until Friday unless I spend 3-4 hs waiting in a walk- in centre at hospital?! My family lives in Argentina, a developing / third world country, and they have better access to doctors and treatment . What is happening here? Not to mention the state of the Surgery and the rudeness of whoever answered the phone this morning. I had to log in the forum and let you all know about my frustration. Paracetamol and sleep now.

brian stimson · Post by **brian stimson** » 1 Jul 2009 10:40

dudachef wrote:I rang Sydenham Surgery this morning at 9.11 am to book an urgent appointment. I the forum and let you all know about my frustration. Paracetamol and sleep now.

I know it's a very serious subject and I do sympathize but I've just looked at the surgery entrance on Google (I now live in Gloucestershire) and it's about the same as it was in 1956 when I last visited Dr. Wilde.

bensonby · Post by **bensonby** » 1 Jul 2009 11:29

dudachef wrote:I rang Sydenham Surgery this morning at 9.11 am to book an urgent appointment. I was told everything was booked for today and tomorrow. Even if I want to see a doctor on Friday I have to ring back tomorrow at 8.15 am . I asked the receptionist what to do since I am not feeling well. She told me to go to the hospital. I am off work (they won't pay me either) and unable to get antibiotics until Friday unless I spend 3-4 hs waiting in a walk- in centre at hospital?! My family lives in Argentina, a developing / third world country, and they have better access to doctors and treatment . What is happening here? Not to mention the state of the Surgery and the rudeness of whoever answered the phone this morning. I had to log in the forum and let you all know about my frustration. Paracetamol and sleep now.

NHS surgeries have a duty to provide emergency appointments I believe. Complain.

nork1 · Post by **nork1** » 1 Jul 2009 15:45

They have an emergency first come first served system after 4:15 (I think), I've used it a few times when no appointment was available... last time about 3 months ago.

dickp · Post by **dickp** » 1 Jul 2009 16:40

Yes, and if you want an afternoon appointment, you (used to) have to queue up outside, rather than in the waiting room.

God, I'm glad I moved to Wells Park Surgury. It really is light years ahead of Sydenham.

Eagle · Post by **Eagle** » 1 Jul 2009 17:40

Try Bell Green Surgery opposite Sava Centre.
I would think biggest in Sydenham and some good doctors

bensonby · Post by **bensonby** » 1 Jul 2009 20:10

good lord, I agree with Eagle..... I have always used the Sydenham Green Surgery (Holmeshaw Close) and have always found them to be very efficient.....

dudachef · Post by **dudachef** » 2 Jul 2009 08:34

NHS surgeries have a duty to provide emergency appointments I believe. Complain.

Thank you!

I rang Sydenham Surgery again a few minutes ago ( 9.11 am ) I should have been up at 8.15 am to get an appointment for tomorrow but decided to insist and get one today. Still feeling bad. I asked for an emergency appointment. The receptionist (different one, better manners) said I could come at 10.40 if REALLY URGENT ONLY. Why wasn't I given this option yesterday? I will change Surgery.

noangel · Post by **noangel** » 2 Jul 2009 12:00

I've managed to register with Wells Park Surgery even though the Sydenham Surgery is literally across the road from me (the look deterred me from registering there).

Check out www.NHS.co.uk they have an online tool whereby you enter your postcode and it brings up surgeries whose catchment area you are in plus if they are taking new patients.

Simplez

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