Colville Health Centre
GT
Gaelle T. 2 years ago • From Google
Bad
I was reluctant to share my experience, but the difficulties I encountered were significant enough that they warrant being documented. That said, I must acknowledge that my regular healthcare provider has been excellent—demonstrating genuine care, attentiveness, and professionalism. The reception staff member I typically interact with and the clinical staff member who performs my blood work have also been consistently pleasant and helpful. So this is not entirely a negative account, though unfortunately the challenging aspects of my care have substantially outweighed these positive interactions. My concerns began with an appointment where a male clinician asked a question about my personal life that seemed entirely unrelated to the reason for my visit, which was a persistent respiratory issue following previous infections. I found this inappropriate and subsequently became uncomfortable attending appointments with male practitioners, which led me to avoid seeking care for approximately a year until a medical situation made it unavoidable. When I eventually needed to contact the practice during an acute illness involving gastrointestinal symptoms, I was not offered an appointment. The advice I received was to manage the condition at home. However, after multiple calls to the practice over several days—during which I was unable to consume food or fluids and experienced significant weight loss—the guidance remained unchanged. Eventually, I required emergency hospital care where I was found to be severely dehydrated and received intravenous treatment. The hospital staff indicated I should have sought help sooner. Subsequently, when I developed a chest infection, I was again advised to manage it without medical intervention and was initially denied antibiotics despite the clinical presentation. Only after contacting an out-of-hours service and having that clinician intervene on my behalf was treatment provided. Notably, I later learned that a male acquaintance with identical symptoms had been prescribed antibiotics without hesitation by the same staff member. More recently, I contacted the practice regarding abdominal pain and systemic symptoms suggestive of infection. A clinician conducted a telephone assessment without examination or testing and provided a diagnosis. However, subsequent testing revealed a bacterial infection that had been missed. The initial assessment had dismissed my symptoms, and I was told recovery would take weeks—meaning I endured discomfort for over a month before proper diagnosis. When attempting to arrange follow-up testing to confirm resolution of the infection, I experienced difficulties with a staff member who disconnected the call twice while I was trying to book an appointment. I continue to experience pain, sleep disturbance, and other concerning symptoms, and I have now been directed to seek emergency care. The apparent lack of compassion from certain team members is deeply troubling, particularly given their role in healthcare.
Sam M.