Claremont Medical Centre
KD
Kareema D. 4 years ago • From Google
Bad
I would advise against registering with this practice. Securing an appointment is extremely difficult and the reception staff are not accommodating. I contacted the surgery this morning requesting an urgent appointment. During a call the previous Friday evening, I was advised to ring at 8am on Monday morning as urgent slots would be available. When I explained my circumstances, I was told that waiting three weeks was not an option given the urgency of my situation and that I should call back on Monday. When I phoned at 8am Monday, I was tenth in the queue. After waiting on the line for 33 minutes, a male receptionist informed me that all urgent appointments were fully booked and offered me an out-of-hours appointment between 6pm and 10pm at an alternative location. I called back and spoke to the same staff member from Friday, who had previously assured me I would receive an appointment that morning. When I explained what had transpired, she responded by saying I already had an appointment and questioned what the issue was. The problem is that an appointment between 6pm and 10pm does not constitute an emergency service when you have been waiting all day for a clinical call. When I requested the manager's name to lodge a formal complaint, this staff member was dismissive and reluctant to provide the information. I was then told that if I was dissatisfied with the outcome that evening, I should ring back at 8am the following day to request another urgent appointment. This is completely unacceptable. This is not my first negative experience with this practice. Later that afternoon, the same staff member called offering an urgent appointment for the following day and stated that a clinician would contact me in the morning. I called the surgery at 5pm as I had not received any call. I was told a clinician had rung at 12:18pm. I received no such call—my phone was on loud the entire time. It is inexplicable to claim a patient has been contacted when they have been waiting all day for that call. This practice is not only disorganised but also unreliable.
Charlotte C.