Is it just me or has the service from Battersea Rise Group Practice (GP's at the top of Battersea Rise) gone seriously downhill?
I have lived in Battersea for over 3 years having moved from Fulham and have always found our local GP clinic, Battersea Rise Group Practice, to be really good. That is until this year! Is it just me or does it seem like getting an appointment to see an actual GP is the equivalent to getting an audience with the Pope. And if you need an urgent appointment they have a ring back service where you could be diagnosed over the phone.
I recently had my son diagnosed of conjunctivitis over the phone and a prescription left to pick up with reception which was a bit odd but I went with it and my son's eyes were cleared within a week - all good. Until similar symptoms appeared again a few weeks later so I called the surgery to make an appointment but the first available one was a week later so I asked for the ring back service and my son was again diagnosed with conjunctivitis over the phone. I asked if he could be seen as I was worried as the symptoms were slightly different to last time and I wanted someone to at least see him, as I insisted I was reluctantly given an appointment later that day for a swab to be taken and tested and was told that I would also have a prescription waiting for eye drops but to wait till the test results confirmed conjunctivitis before using them. I called for the test results 3 days later but they weren't back, I called again the following 3 days and a week after the swap was taken I was told that they had lost the test results!
In another case, my son needed to go for an X-ray at St John's Hill Therapy Centre for a possible referral to a specialist which has to come from the GP. My son had his X-ray and I was told the results would be sent to the GP within 5 -7 working days. I called the GP 7 days later as we had been out of the country and was told that the results had in fact come in 2 days after we had the X-ray done but as yet none of the GPs had reviewed the X-rays!!! The receptionist went on to tell me that she would have the X-rays reviewed that day and I would get a call later in the day. But alas no call came so I called back the following morning to be told that the X-ray had been reviewed and that everything was ok. I just don't understand why they didn't bother to call back and let me know that as that is what I was told they would do!
Long rant over!! I am left wondering if I have just been unlucky and that these are isolated cases or are others having similar problems with their local GPs. I am really interested to hear other people's experiences.
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