Harringay, Haringey - So Good they Spelt it Twice!
Bridge House Surgery, Umfreville Road
I previously recommended this place on this site but I have noticed recently that they have changed the way they manage the practice and I had such a bad experience this morning that I thought that I would go online again and see if I could transfer to a better clinic.
I do not go to the doctor often thankfully but when I need it I would like to be able to see someone if it's urgent before 2 and half weeks! I took this morning off work to call at 8:30am (recommended by them) in hope of getting a cancellation this morning. 1 hour later a nurse called me and did a diagnosis over the phone. This IMO isnt satisfactory as the aliment is muscle/ CNS pain which would need to be seen in person and perhaps referred. After I complained about the service, the clinic manager called me and was able to give an appointment a week earlier. I still have to do another week of medication before I can see anyone for an aliment which still has not be diagnosed properly, but how come the receptionists give out an appointment over 2 weeks later when really an appointment can be made sooner if you shout about it? Something wrong with this process??
Can anyone recommend a better clinic locally?
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Takaokagiejin on
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I have recently had the same experience with the Cedar Practice so I can't recommend them. All very depressing. The GP told me that they get so many people booking appointments and not turning up it's almost impossible to manage.
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Permalink Reply by Burgoyne Bec on
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Personally, i've never had trouble getting an appointment when I have called at 830am, but I do understand what you mean about health services in general, and am sorry to hear you have had to resort to making complaints to get any service.
I don't think the problem lies with Bridge House - it really is more to do with the fact that health services are in huge demand and under pressure, and (sadly) abused by people who don't turn up for their appointments.
At Bridge House I think they do a great job considering how diverse their catchment area is; the lack of resources for the doctors and nurses; and how full on and demanding some of their patients can be (I hope i'm not the only one who feels sorry for the receptionists - the abuse they get from some patients really is beyond the pale); and the fact that some appointments are always going to take longer than the allocated 15 minutes.
I'd also like to say that I have noticed some positive change there since the patient liaison group started up - the waiting area seems a lot clearer and cleaner, and the reception area is more welcoming.
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Permalink Reply by Alison P on
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I'm really sorry to hear you had this experience. I am at that practice and, though the 8.30 phone in or queue outside to get an appointment on the same day is inconvenient, I have always managed to get an appointment that way so perhaps you were unlucky (I think they actually have spare appointments saved for this, it isn't to get cancellations as I understand it).
I know that isn't much consolation, but maybe worth giving them another go unless someone has a much better alternative?
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Permalink Reply by TTTH on
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Thanks for your comments. That's interesting that you have experienced no problem getting an appointment on the day. I had no problem before either but the practices have merged very recently and the practice manager did say there were teething problems. Perhaps I was unlucky and it was just an overbooked day, but I am not surprised people dont keep their appointments at this rate. Perhaps the worst symptoms will have subsided by the time the 2.5 week appointment comes around, but would you be bothered to ring in at those specific times of 8:30am and 2pm to cancel? I doubt it. The diagnosis over the phone might be more efficient with those with colds and flus but it doesnt really work for those who have musclo-skeletal issues and need more "hands on" diagnosis.
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I use Bridge House surgery and I have always had problems getting an appointment. They save a certain number of appointments to be allocated on the day to people who ring up or queue at the door at 8.30am. This is okay if you have an urgent health issue and are at home anyway, although in my experience the daily appointments go very quickly and you actually need to queue at the door to be guaranteed an appointment.
My problem is that I have an ongoing medical issue which is being managed by one particular GP and I need an appointment with him every 2 or 3 months. Trying to book a non-urgent appointment with that GP is almost impossible. I usually get told that all his appointments for the next 4 weeks are taken, and that they cannot book an appointment further in advance because 'the appointments have not been released yet'. I have mentioned it to the GP and he does sometimes intervene and get me an appointment, but it is a ridiculous situation. All the reception staff and practice manager have been able to advise is that I should ring up at 8.30 am or queue at the door - not very practical advice when (a) I have a full-time job and need to commute to work at 8.30, and (b) the problem is not 'urgent'. In desperation I did arrange to work from home one day, in order to be able to queue up at the door, only to be told by the time I got to the front of the queue that there were no appointments left that day with the particular GP that I needed to see!
I did try to join the patient liaison group but it meets during the day, which is no good for people who work full-time.
The GPs themselves are all very good and I have always had a positive experience once I actually get in to see them, so I have decided that it is not worth the hassle of trying to find another practice.
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Hi Sassie, yes it sounds like we experienced the same thing. I have to leave the house at 7am in the morning as I work outside London so I got authorisation to work from home in the morning. However I was very frustrated by the advice from the triage nurse over the phone. I am still in pain and really at this stage I could have been referred to physio or something. I hope someone there reads our comments and does something about it.
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Dear TTTH,
There are also very long waits for appointments where I go in Stroud Green. I think this must just be the way things are organised now. As your situation is urgent then you could go to the Whittington's Emergency Department and Urgent Care Centre. It is no longer called "Accident and Emergency" and is divided into 2 parts; I think your case might be dealt with by a doctor in the "Urgent Care" bit. Good luck.
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Permalink Reply by Ruth on
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It's a sorry state of affairs but as others say, the demand for appointments is far greater than the supply. I've been using Bridge House for 13 years or so and noticed it getting busier and busier, sometimes feel like it's a war zone when waiting in there. Receptionists do their best to keep things going and some people are so rude, demanding. I wish they could remove people from register who dont turn up for appts.
I have had to get emergency appointments sometimes and was fortunate to do so- but once that meant queuing round the corner in the cold when I felt like death warmed up. We could well do with another surgery in this area but can't see that happening.
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Permalink Reply by Peter on
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It seems to me that "missed appointments" is one of the main issues for practices or hospitals trying to manage patient flow. I've always wondered, and even discussed this with GPs and nurses, what measures could be taken, and Ruth touches on this by wishing offenders could be struck from the register. Maybe it's time for patients to come up with constructive ideas of how to penalise those who miss, or maybe persistently miss, appointments.
I grew up mainly in Switzerland, where health insurance is private and compulsory. There are all kinds of issues with this system (mainly personal finance) and I always wished we had an NHS there, too. But what happens in Switzerland is that, if you miss an appointment without cancelling, you will be charged anyway, and I really can't see anything wrong with that.
I am also at Bridge House.
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I can see that the Triage nurse system may be an efficient for dealing with people with colds and flu but it doesnt work for those with other symptoms. If people cant get an appointment for 2.5 weeks then they are going to annoyed and it's understandable that they are not going to turn up or cancel if their aliments subside in that instance.
I am going to take the advice on board tho regarding going to the Whittington in future if it's urgent. I'll never take a morning off again. Just phone in an see what the response is. Seems a sad state of affairs but I guess that's where we are.
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I think some people think that cus they don't pay for NHS (tho of course we do thru NI and taxes!) it doesn't matter, it has no value. It's amazing how much more valued something is when you pay directly.
Some sort of system should be in place for persistent offenders for sure. Maybe the yellow card and red card business...
It's not hard to pick up the phone and let the surgery know you are not coming.
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I changed to Heron Group Gp's and their whole service is significantly better than Bridge House. Especially if you are like me and have to take your child to the gp regularly.
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