Does anyone else struggle with Wells Park Doctors?

[Cce]

Hi,
I honestly feel like weeping most times I come in contact with Wells Park Doctors. Today I went in for a 4pm appointment, only to be told that it wasn't on the system. I had to make the appointment three weeks ago to get the first bookable appointment available, and now it has vanished from the system. I have spent hours trying to get through on the phone, and have tried three times to sign up for the online appointment booking service in person only to be told each time that there are technical problems and I can't. So, I can only get an appointment it seems by actually going there first thing, and only then if I can be there before 8.15 when the last bookable appointment of the day is usually snapped up. I work full time and have a long commute so I'm finding this incredibly frustrating - my work is not so flexible that I can take the morning off on the off chance of getting an appointment.

I don't want to take this out on the people who work at reception, it is clearly not their fault that it is so badly run. Am I just really unlucky or do other people struggle too? I guess I will complain to the NHS trust but I'm not really sure how or who to complain to! I've lived in several parts of London and never had such problems just getting to see a doctor before!

[Robin Orton]

If you ring the practice at 8.00, in my experience you will usually get through (eventually) and be able to book an appointment for that day. I agree it is incredibly frustrating to be held in a queue for ages, but at least they tell you how many people there are ahead of you.

I also agree that booking appointments ahead can be problematic. I usually do it online, which works OK, but there often seem to be only a small number of slots available, sometimes quite a long way ahead, and the choice of doctors you can see is often limited.(At the moment, I have just checked, there are however appointments available on Thursday 30 August with Tony Adegoke and Ruth Williams, on Friday 31st with Kamile Ozcan and with quite a lot of doctors in the following week). These can of course be booked by phone - if you can get through!

I suppose they have to strike a balance between having enough slots available on the day for urgent cases and letting people book ahead.

The computer system went through a long period of not working very well or at all - I think they were changing the system - but, so far as I know, it is now OK.

[marymck]

I've never come across a more disorganized practice.

I can't use the online system either. "Technical problems".

I also wasn't aware that they'd changed the telephone system so you can phone in at 8.00 - it used to be 8.30. I only discovered this when I rang at 8.30 and all the appointments had gone.

There are a couple of really good doctors there - but also some really, really bad doctors.

It's also a shame they don't offer the services that other practices do. Yes, you can get acupuncture. But that's about it.

They also have an annoying habit of scanning and shredding. Including ECGs! Which of course shouldn't be scanned, as they will not then be to scale. But then that's if they don't manage to lose them before scanning ... which they did with mine.

I actually have a note on my file that originals are to come to me. But it doesn't work.

[s cheeseman]

I normally call a little later than 8.00 and so get through easily, this of course means that there are no longer appointments available on that day but they do give you one for the following day.

[gerispringer]

I was going to change doctors to Wells Park, but after reading this I won't bother. I thought it was just Bell Green that were hopeless- but its obviously its the whole GP system now. They get paid a fortune and you can never get an appointment unless you call at 8.00a.m. on the dot(and then you have to wait for ages), never see the same doctor twice without waiting weeks and they never do any after hours and avoid house calls. A friend from Germany was staying with me and needed to see a doctor for some antibiotics, as it was the bank holiday weekend the GP was shut for 3 days - my friend couldn't believe it - why don't they do a regular Saturday clinic at least? Why not an emergency GP clinic Sundays/Bank Holidays? Other medical staff have to work weekends and Bank Holidays - people aren't just ill in working hours. The whole system is a mess.

[newbrit]

I have tried walk-in clinics with success. There is one in New Cross... But I agree the system has to change. It does not work for people, even if it works for the GPs.

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[Robin Orton]

The Wells Park practice does have two Saturday morning clinics each month, and an evening clinic every Tuesday.

As well as acupuncture, they offer osteopathy, diatetics, counselling and minor surgery - also various clinics for women and children.

They have an informative website - http://www.wellsparkpractice.co.uk/

My family and I have been patients of the practice for many years. In terms of the quality of care we have received, we have no real complaints. Most of the problems we have had have been to do with practice administration, and even these have been irritating more than anything else.

[RachelF]

I usually call at 8am on the dot and it is always engaged. Ten minutes of continuous calling and I may or may not get an appointment.
To be honest though this is no different from any other doctors' in London that I have been signed up with in the last 13 years, including the Sydenham Surgery.

[JulietP]

I've been with Wells park for just over a year. I pretty much always book appointments well in advance - about 3 weeks - for routine stuff. This morning for the first time I needed an on-the-day appointment. Rang from 8am, got through and have an appointment this morning. I think they're generally pretty good, but you can't be fussy about seeing the same doctor every time - it's simply impossible.

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[Suzee]

Whilst I agree the practice is far from perfect, I am reasonably happy with the service, particularly when they see my children. Last week I got an appointment for my son at 11.45am after calling only 45 minutes before. They then gave us an urgent referral to Kings where my son was seen by a specialist that afternoon. Isn't the NHS great?

I also would recommend their online booking system, though you can't use it for youngsters. Saves waiting on hold.

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[NatashaM]

They are awful. If I had any choice of another group practice in the area I would change doctors like a shot.

They reception staff are rude and obstructive and never admit to making a mistake when they patently have - things like repeat prescription requests being left and then disappearing - they do nothing to rectify the problem, just say that you have to put in another request and wait another 48 hours.

Not opening appointments more than 2 weeks ahead.

Practice Manager never in evidence.

Only one person on the desk with a massive queue and others visible in the background.

Broken touch screens more often than not.

Not having a locum nurse when they were one nurse down (why should we traipse to Sydenham Green for blood tests??).

GPs obviously long out of training and not had any kind of refresher about what is currently the thing to do - ie one prescribed eye drops for my baby's conjunctivits then another said that they no longer were supposed to do that as it was self-limiting and the drops could sometimes cause health problems.

Tony T is a good doctor and so is Sarah Watson. None of the others I've seen I would want to see again.

I was a GPs receptionist and my mother was a practice manager before she retired - the way they carry on is absolutely unacceptable.

[s cheeseman]

I've been with Wells Park Practise for around 8 years and I recently moved out of their catchment area, I like them so much I practically begged them to let me stay and they did.

Over the years errors have been made and I can't always get an appointment to suit however when this has happened I have requested a call from a doctor and they have called promptly and are very helpful. I also find the staff very friendly and helpful.

I have many times times seen patients speaking to the reception staff terribly, and they smile and take it, and for that reason they get my full sympathy and support. I recommend Wells Park Practise to all.

[Bazman76]

My biggest bug bear is that even when you finally get an appointment and turn up at the allotted time you can be left waiting for up to half an hour?

When I was younger I used to be able to walk into my local surgery and never had to wait that long?

[Robin Orton]

I have had a letter from the surgery to say that the acupuncture and osteopathy service at the practice is to be cut by the Health Authority. People are being asked to sign a petition against this. There is to be a meeting at the surgery at 6.30pm on Tuesday October 16th to discuss how the service can be saved.

[jonathan_har]

Does anyone know how to get a Pin ID and an Access ID which apparently you need to for online booking? Thanks!

[JulietP]

Just go in with photo id and ask for it. I did it earlier this week and have now registered successfully.

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[jonathan_har]

Thanks Juliet. Jonathan