Grove Medical Centre

Nurse Ignored My Covid Vaccine Request

Unfortunately my record now reads... Pat expressed dissatisfaction, claiming he was told the covid vaccine should have been aspirated and was administered incorrectly. We informed the patient we were following established guidelines and training protocols. That is not the true sequence of events. I did NOT claim I was told it needed aspiration - I SPECIFICALLY requested aspiration 3 TIMES with my wife present, and the needle was simply inserted and injected, completely disregarding my explicit wishes. After the injection, she stated they do not perform aspiration here. I believe the record note was fabricated by the receptionist and requires correction. Unfortunately, I must reduce my rating. My wife and I attended for Covid and Flu vaccinations. I explicitly requested aspiration for my Covid jab at least three times. The nurse simply inserted the needle and injected, directly contradicting my request. I suspect she was unfamiliar with the procedure. When I pointed out the lack of aspiration, she responded that they do not practice this method. I then requested aspiration for my wife's injection, and she merely inserted and pressed the needle. Extremely unprofessional to deliberately ignore a patient's specific instructions. My previous two vaccinations at G.M.C. were carefully aspirated. If uncertain about the procedure, she should have consulted a colleague. More comprehensive training is essential before allowing inexperienced staff to treat patients. First-rate Medical Centre with outstanding staff. The only significant issue is the phone system. Recent improvements have been made. Online blood test booking remains unavailable. Queue times have been reduced following my suggestion by creating a separate prescription line, slightly improving access. Additional staffing between 8-9:30 AM would further enhance service. An email contact would be beneficial. EXCEPTIONAL COVID VACCINATION PERFORMANCE 10/10 !!!! 14.9.21 ... Telephone system significantly improved. More staffing during peak hours still recommended. Subsequent to my previous review, I received a letter today (18.5.25) indicating a forthcoming telephone consultation regarding my cancer. The letter lacked specific timing or appointment details. After consulting a hospital cancer specialist, I received two calls - one on my mobile, another on my landline - which I missed due to their brief duration. I immediately contacted the surgery, requesting message delivery to nurse Emma, presumably the caller. The receptionist abruptly refused, claiming insufficient time due to other patients, and simply stated the appointment would be rescheduled. No attempt was made to relay my message. This appears to be their standard approach to cancer patient communication. I am thoroughly disappointed. While the Grove typically maintains high standards, on this occasion, they significantly underperformed. Hence, the one-star review.