Oak Street Medical Practice

Discrimination and unfair treatment

I was unfortunate enough to end up at the Oak Street Medical Practice. Having been asked to attend an appointment, I arrived to be told my GP hadn't yet arrived for work and would be starting an hour later. My response was that my physical disability wouldn't allow me to cope with such a long delay and my partner wouldn't be able to wait that long to take me home. Instead of any suggestion of rescheduling, I was threatened. Immediately told its normal for delays and if I didn't stay I would have my care withdrawn. After repeating calmly that I couldn't stay owing to a disability and going to leave, the receptionist started shouting after me that I would be punished if I didn't stay. Having reported this as discrimination, I later find out not only that my appointment was cancelled as punishment, but also 3 other routine requests were cancelled as a punitive measure. I appealed this decision and was told the practice partners had reviewed my appeal and rejected it, only to later see the lead practice GP Dr A., and hear him say he had no knowledge of what had been said or what happened. This was outrageous considering his name had been signed off to my appeal. The practice staff member that threatened me and punished me has refused to apologise, even though I am neurologically and physically disabled, and the practice don't contend having discriminated against me, but claim that it is harmful to the staff member's wellbeing to apologise. I assume that this creates a significant safeguarding risk if staff members can discriminate against disabled patients and not have to worry about apologising. After trying to informally resolve the matter with the aid of an advocate, the practice forcibly removed me from their register, rather than apologise. Not only is this devastating as my care is harmed and my access to request medication taken away, but it also means I can't order medication for my children, and my son with crippling ASD has to move practice (Everyone knows autistic children love change). My complaint took months of silence and lies from the practice, but having appealed their decision, I gets rejected instantly. Dr A. repeatedly lied to me about the actions of his practice and the surgery plays fast and loose with controlled medication. Appointments for titration are taken away but the medication is prescribed and even increased anyway. I had weeks of being unable to access my medications (which I clearly need), and the GPs there, including Dr E., are blissfully unaware that they have the ability to change the brand or medication where there is a shortage so that medication dangerous to stop doesn't get out of your system and put patients into withdrawal. The practice has an extra level of admin staff squirrelled away in a remote building somewhere that replace the reception staff on site. They take all calls but have no access to the practice systems or patient records. They act as glorified note takers and you can't get to speak to reception if, for example you want to check an appointment or rearrange. Its such a gross use of public funds. Meanwhile, if you attend the practice, it is a ghost-town with no observable other patients. All you'll witness is a half-dozen reception staff laughing away and goofing off. One can only assume this is because their responsibilities are outsourced to the note takers. I would avoid this practice at all costs.