Forest Health Group

I really would not know where to begin. So terrible I feel sick thinking about it. No patient care what so ever

Difficult to know how to begin or where to start. The most recent issues have been the difficulty in getting the required help from the surgery re blood tests following Open heart surgery 6 weeks ago. The discharge letter from the Royal Brompton hospital asking the surgery to arrange blood tests specifically for liver function, Hb level, chest X-ray and ECG in a weeks time. It took me calling in tears and my husband visiting the surgery to get their attention. I honestly don’t think up until that point my discharge letter had been read, simply scanned and filed. I got a call from the practice manager, devoid of any compassion making excuses for the lack of care. However, this did seem to do the trick and I had appointments arranged for all the tests. It’s difficult to overstate how vulnerable it feels to come from major heart surgery and feel totally unsupported by primary carers…in fact Carers is a misnomer! I have since had to fight to get attention each step of the way. Several weeks later I had the frightening experience of going totally blind in one eye for several minutes. I tried to contact the surgery via askmygp but the system was turned off after 11am, so I then called and was 14th in a queue. I decided to leave it until the day after a doctor friend said it was urgent I get attention so I called again and spoke to a receptionist and was immediately called back by a doctor (result). He said I should be in hospital and when I explained my difficulty getting to talk to a doctor he explained their difficulties! And made an appointment to see a doctor next day…thankfully. The general attitude of receptionists and nurses has been appalling. No hello, no introduction, nothing. Often passive aggressive especially from two nurses who I had the misfortune to have blood tests with. I go the Heatherwood now, far more reliable and professional. Latest experience is when on Friday I sent a request with attached photos for discussion with doctor before the 11am cut off and heard nothing. I called the surgery and enquired why I hadn’t heard and she said request hadn’t been received. She refused to make an appointment and told me to send a request in on Monday morning…I have and still not received a confirmation that it was received. So I am no waiting on the phone, 30 mins and counting. Luckily I printed out the message I sent which is dated and timed. Something is very wrong with that surgery, I don’t advise anyone to register and if you are find another surgery. I would but I doubt it’s a good idea to change because of my recent surgery. We are now investigating getting a private GP because I have no faith in the Primary Care system anymore. It’s very worrying.

I am not ill very often so I had forgotten about the new online booking system, I have always always struggled to get an appointment for me or my small child. I walked into the sainsbury site to get an appointment to be told they can’t do that and I have to register online and do it that way, the receptionist acknowledged I was in pain but said that was the only way, but once done I should hear back within an hour. So I registered online filled in a request 24 hours later still nothing I ended up going to minor injuries due to the pain ramping up to find out a have a pretty bad infection the doctor explained if I had waited till the end of the week then I would have ended up having to see ent specialist at the hospital. I feel so guilty about using minor injuries as this is not what that service is there for but I had no option. I thought the new system of online booking would make it easier to get appointments but so far no it’s really not. Time to find a new doctors this is the final straw for me. I would never ever recommend this surgery to anyone.
Original Comment Report...