The Villa Street Medical Centre
AS
Alessandro S. 2 years ago • From Google
Bad
I am newly registered at this practice and am leaving one star because I visited a few times with a different clinician who was excellent, otherwise I would leave no stars at all. When I registered, I mentioned that my medical records were disorganised, so the receptionist said she would gather them together as the practice only had part of them. A few days later, I received an email confirming that all my records had been obtained and consolidated. I suffer from severe depression and attended an appointment as I had been feeling very low. I was seen by a clinician and could barely speak as I was crying throughout. The clinician stated that she could not see any records of my depression, which made me feel as though she thought I was not being truthful. I explained that I did have depression and offered to bring documentation from home, including evidence of previous mental health crises. The clinician then asked what I wanted her to do. I responded that I did not know, and that if I did, I would not have come to the surgery. I mentioned that my previous doctor had arranged therapy sessions for me, but I was unable to attend due to fatigue and panic attacks, and that my previous doctor had provided one-to-one support. She replied that no one at the practice could offer that. What shocked me most was when she said at the end that I only had two choices: be strong or give up. Although I understand her point, this was not what I expected to hear from a healthcare professional. As I left, I asked for her name to leave this review. I felt significantly worse leaving the clinic than when I arrived. She must have realised why I was asking, as she subsequently sent me a message with a wellbeing link. It is difficult for someone in my situation to seek help when society often judges people negatively, and hearing this kind of response from a healthcare professional makes it harder to believe recovery is possible.
Onome O.