GP recommendation SW18 Post Reply

[BellaHoff]

Would really appreciate recommendations for a good GP surgery in SW18 for me and my two week old son. Particularly interested to know thoughts on Southfields Group Practice (is it very tricky to get an appointment??) and Brocklebank.
Many thanks

[wren1234]

We have used Brocklebank for the past few years and found them pretty good. I have always managed to get a same day apt when I needed one, after holding for a while. You can also book in advance for routine things. The receptionists are v helpful and friendly and all the doctors I have seen have been good.

[NYE31]

Depending on where you are in SW18, the Wandsworth Medical Practice is also very good.

[SLOTH]

We go to the Elborough Street Surgery in Southfields and have always been really impressed with them

[Mummymummymummy]

I'm with Southfields Group Practice and yes I find the appointment system ridiculous. Unless you do the whole 'phone at 8am for an appointment on the day' nonsense' you can wait over a week for an appointment. By which time you or bubba will no doubt be better. So you're trapped into joining the masses clock watching for 8am then hanging on the phone for up to half an hour. Meantime the baby/ children cry for their breakfast. Oh yes and it's not unusual for all the appointments to be gone by the time you get through, so you can repeat the whole charade the next day.

Add to that, my baby is on a repeat prescription. She's now a year old and never once has it been there for me to collect within the 48 hours, in fact they never seem to know what has happened to it. I know some of the staff there are equally frustrated with the level of service patients are receiving.

Also I frequently end up seeing locums there, a couple of whom have seemed uninformed to say the least.

Sorry, I sound like a right winger! On the plus side, I moved to that surgery for the simple reason that I could swing in with the double buggy, into the lift and right into the consulting room without removing children. Other local surgeries are in old buildings meaning buggy must be left outside. I didn't fancy wrestling my three tiny children up a flight of stairs! It's hardly a ringing endorsement, but that's why I'm there. Once my children are all walking and going up the stairs independently, I will move elsewhere.

My friends are at Elborough and very happy.

[AnnieH]

Another vote for Brocklebank, whilst not the most beautiful I've never failed to get a same day appointment and they now release the morning appointments on the internet so you don't need to wait on the phone / stand in line to queue which is a godsend with small children.

[sophieb]

Whilst I feel mummymummymummy's pain about the telephone booking service at Southfields Group Practice, I must say I've otherwise had really good experiences there. My son has ongoing medical conditions that they have been fantastic with - his prescriptions go straight to the chemist next door and all the doctors have been great with him. On the rare occasions that I haven't managed to get an appointment for him on the day I've wanted, I've always had a telephone appointment with a doctor the same day. Whilst it's not always practical to hang on the phone at 8am for an appointment, they do offer an online service for booking appointments which is much easier.

[Team Southfields]

Genuinely, I suspect they are all much of a muchness and it depends which particular sort of muchness suits you best as a family. I hear people moan about them all and I think all you can do is pop into them all for a practice leaflet and see which one you like the feel of best. The phoning at 8am is beyond a joke though, especially when children start school and are expected to arrive on time and you have more than one child to worry about.

Might it be worth having a word with one of the local pharmacists. They are generally quite well plugged into which surgeries are well run.

[joolia]

We left Southfields Group Practice after several issues. There are better practices locally. We are now at Vineyard Hill Road Surgery and they are fantastic.