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Leaon White 23 months ago
I feel it necessary to leave this review after the past year and a half. It has been a varied and frustrating experience which, most importantly of all, has and continues to directly negatively impact the life of one at least one of it's patients.
Receptionists
As the first point of contact I feel that receptionists do have a hard time. Some people are unreasonable from the outset and it can be difficult to maintain a neutral and professional approach. However, the approach of the receptionists at Poverest is distinctly inconsistent. I have been told that I require a basic signed letter of consent from my father to be able to discuss his medical situation and records. My father has dementia and I am one of the people on his Power of Attorney, yet I have had multiple receptionists tell me that a signed letter is required and Power Of Attorney isn't enough (?!). This has at times meant that I couldn't remotely book appointments for my father or find out when he has them booked, yet on other occasions I've been able to amend appointments as needed. This ridiculously inconsistent approach only delays getting care where it is needed. I wonder if the rules receptionist abide by could be amended and better clarified, but I would also encourage common sense and at least a little empathy for family members simply looking out for the best interests of unhealthy relatives, especially those with the implicit trust and authority of a Power Of Attorney.
GPs
The approach of doctors at this surgery borders on malpractice. This seems like an exaggeration, but I can't think of any other way to phrase it. As an isolated example, one doctor is supposed to have a particular specialism and yet my mother has been left to suffer with an "ailment", that, as far as we & a liver specialist at Kings can tell, should be straightforward enough to deal with. She is left in discomfort daily, sleeps badly and everyday life is made much more challenging, all with the underpinning of recovery from multiple liver operations (which can also be sourced back to this surgery). The doctor in question has left my mother in this condition for MONTHS and she is still waiting for a resolution so she can try and heal. Left any longer I expect that other symptoms will arise and complicate the situation. She has seen at least two other GPs at the same surgery who have failed to refer her or assist with this current problem.
This is in the wake of further negligence preceding this, where my mother was left with 2 liver cysts that could have been easily dealt with ahead of time, but were left resulting in ascites, symptoms more commonly associated with alcohol abuse (my mother hasn't had a drink in years and hardly drank anyway), multiple visits to 2 hospitals and compound symptoms that are still being dealt with now. One GP had the sense to send my mother to A&E stating that she 'looked pregnant' & that he 'couldn't examine her in that state'.
Doctors at the surgery seem unwilling to commit to face-to-face consultations, despite a clear need for them in certain situations and have failed to make practical, helpful and logical recommendations in good time. It feels like they have directives they are trying to adhere to that are certainly not in the best interests of their patients.
I'm unsure of whether this experience is a reflection of the NHS or the consequence of failed duty of care, but having seen some of the outcomes I felt in necessary to post this review as a warning.
This is not a witch hunt and I'm not calling for heads to roll, but I post this as a warning to anyone that has to use this surgery or it's doctors.
Be patient, keep calm, keep trying & encourage staff to maintain their duty of care to the people that depend on them.