Grovelands Medical Centre
VA
Vix A. 2 years ago • From Google
Bad
Scheduling an appointment is practically impossible, and their booking system is far from neurodivergent-friendly. You're required to call after 9:30am, and they exclusively book exactly two weeks out. They recently changed my GP, leaving me uncertain about who my doctor is, and apparently they only work three days weekly - information supposedly available on their website. I struggle to remember to call, so I set a phone alarm, only to be told the doctor isn't working that day, despite previous calls confirming conflicting information. It's an utterly nonsensical system. I emailed inquiring about alternative booking methods, highlighting the current ableist approach, and was flatly rejected. My smear test was botched twice, resulting in unusable results that necessitated a hospital visit. Additionally, processing my ADHD diagnosis through Psych UK and establishing shared care took months. An 18-month tennis elbow issue went unaddressed - no scans were ordered, and I received two treatments including an injection administered via pure guesswork, unsurprisingly ineffective. Previously, when advance booking was possible, I scheduled an appointment, waited five weeks, had it canceled due to the Queen's funeral with no replacement, and was denied a phone consultation as "not urgent". I ultimately waited another four weeks just to get a referral. When I finally saw a specialist, the tennis elbow resolved within weeks - had this happened a year earlier, I'd have avoided significant inconvenience. My back appointment required a nine-month wait for physiotherapy. The GP sent me for an urgent x-ray, but the hospital refused, claiming confusion about the referral and insisting I needed an MRI, subsequently sending me home. A repeat prescription issue meant the order didn't process for a week, causing severe symptoms. The doctors seem competent, but wait times are excessive. Reception staff can be incredibly discourteous, and appointments consistently run late, even for morning slots. The phone app prevented appointment booking. After being instructed to create a new account and bringing ID to the surgery, I spent two months with slow IT responses. Eventually, a helpful receptionist intervened, bringing the IT person from the back. Despite this, I still cannot book an appointment. I experienced superior service while living in central London, despite presumably greater patient volume.
Benj P.