About GP at hand
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While the doctors and some of the staff are good, my overall experience at this practice has been negatively affected by one of the receptionists who is a bit senior & maybe African I am not sure - I don’t know how else to identify her. Unfortunately, I do not know her name, but her manner has consistently been rude and unhelpful. Simple questions are met with lectures rather than guidance, and the interaction feels unprofessional and lacking in empathy. This is not about being unhappy with outcomes; it is about how patients are spoken to and treated. Looking at other reviews you can see this has been the experience for other patients with receptionist not sure if the same one but still. I work within the NHS, and this is not the standard of patient communication or support we aim to provide. In contrast, since registering at North End Medical Centre, I have found the team to be kind and approachable. They are happy to speak over the phone, explain processes clearly, and the GPs follow up promptly when needed. At GP at Hand, the burden often feels placed on patients. Even when we call to confirm information and attend in person, we are told that “it was only the call centre” and that they cannot help, which is frustrating and confusing. There is another receptionist who is polite and takes time to explain, but the other individual’s approach comes across as overly authoritative and dismissive. I hope this feedback is taken constructively, as better communication and empathy at the front desk would make a significant difference to patients’ overall experience.
They referred me to the respiratory department at my local hospital, without conducting the required 'tests in the community'. The hospital dutifully rejected the referral and sent me back to my GP for these tests. It later transpired that this service, which has a number of clinics across London, only has one lung function diagnostic machine based at their Victoria site. As it turns out this equipment was broken, so essentially this GP service is unable to competently refer anyone for a respiratory consultation. Formal complaint was issued months ago, but alas it received no response. Primary care needs a total overall and these lot need taking out of business. The typical wait time for a PHONE APPOINTMENT is three weeks. Then, if you're deemed worthy of an in-person consultation the average wait time is a FURTHER THREE WEEKS! If you have repeat prescriptions, expect a constant barrage of requests for the dosage and suitability to be reviewed. I suspect this is so their clinicians can do easy and mundane work, whilst billing the NHS top dollar for their 'services' These absolute charlatans also totally ignored the pain I have lived in for years, passing it off as things that it is not. These absolute clients would have known this, and saved me years of pain, had they referred me for the correct scans, but no, that's not profitable for eMed, they'd rather get you reliant on pills and repeat appointments instead. In the end I had to go private to get a full diagnosis and now on a path to recovery, with no thanks to eMed.
I wish I could give this practice zero stars this is about the GP at Hand, Lillie Road Medical Centre and Dr Jefferies Clinic who all work together. I was registered with them for about a year and it was the worst medical experience I have ever had. Since moving to a new GP earlier this year, I have finally received proper care. They have been attentive, thorough and resolved issues this practice completely ignored. One incident really stood out at GP at Hand, Lillie Road Medical Centre - The receptionist with Afro hair was extremely rude and unprofessional while I was unwell. She told me to wait outside in the cold and rain for a phone appointment, claiming it was to avoid disturbing other patients, even though there were no other patients there. When I explained that the doctor was already 30 minutes late and that my issue was something he would need to see visibly, she refused and said the doctor would not see me because it was a phone appointment. She was completely horrible and dismissive. When the doctor finally called, he immediately asked me to come in, proving how unnecessary and unpleasant that situation was. Also they had an unhelpful system that required patients to go online to book appointments. When I called, I was told to go online, and when I walked in without using the app, I was told the same thing again. I pointed out that this system would be difficult for people with disabilities or those unable to use the internet. You also could not book same day appointments, which made it even harder to access care. Also Dr Jefferies - repeatedly lost test results, sent messages meant for other patients and failed to listen to my concerns. Too. It was disorganised, dismissive and distressing from start to finish. I would not recommend this practice to anyone seeking competent or compassionate healthcare.
I appreciate the convenience of a digital GP, and some individual staff were polite. However, during an urgent mental health period my experience raised serious patient safety concerns. I repeatedly explained that my situation could become life threatening if not handled properly, and I explicitly asked for timely attention and support. I raised concerns about risk to my safety, but there was no escalation. Despite this, there was no meaningful improvement. I was passed between different clinicians with no continuity or clear clinical ownership, and each appointment felt like starting from zero. I was also asked to attend multiple blood tests without a clear explanation of what they were for or who requested them, and I was repeatedly told to book further appointments just to ask basic questions. I struggled to get confirmation that specialist correspondence had been received, and in the end I had to contact the psychiatrist myself to obtain the report. Overall, I did not feel supported or safe, even after repeatedly asking for help, so I left the practice.
I've been getting multiple daily ads from this private clinic contracting out NHS service. I don't need my tax money to be wasted in advertising when clearly the reviews show the service is not able to cope as is with their regular patients. I do not live in the boroughs either, what is the purpose of this? Just have more and more registered patients to get a bigger NHS payout but see no one?