St Leonards Practice
JL
Jj L. 7 years ago • From Google
Bad
I have been a patient at this medical practice since birth, now 49 years old, and have witnessed a deeply disappointing deterioration in service and quality over the past decade. The surgery was exceptional when Sir Dennis Gray was leading, supported by outstanding physicians like Dr Philip Evans and Dr Russell Steele. Unfortunately, the practice has completely lost its personal approach and genuine patient care understanding. From the initial phone contact, you're confronted with a terrible automated system featuring an uninterested Dr Dickson delivering an excessively long message before providing service options. This immediately makes you feel unwelcome. I've contacted other Devon surgeries with friendly, concise answer messages that at least suggest you'll receive proper care. The list of shortcomings is extensive, and I feel compelled to highlight several critical issues. 1. Selecting staff contact options means potentially waiting 40 minutes for an answer. Calls frequently drop unexpectedly. When connected, you might experience prolonged silence before disconnection. Staff interactions typically involve encountering someone having a bad day, greeted by a monotonous, disinterested, hassled voice. Two administrative staff remain pleasant, but chances of reaching them are minimal, as they've often recently departed. This discourages communication. My wife, suffering severe PTSD, feels too intimidated to call due to staff attitudes. 2. Accessing your assigned GP is nearly impossible. Since Dr Philip Evans' departure, we've cycled through 9 different GPs in just 18 months. Seemingly competent doctors leave within months or take extended sabbaticals before retiring. Patient continuity is non-existent. Each appointment requires rapidly bringing the GP up to speed on medical history, while feeling pressured and watched by a clock-focused physician. You inevitably leave thinking, "I forgot to mention..." Appointment waiting times stretch up to 8 weeks. Most GPs are either new/training or temporary locums. 3. Several staff demonstrate consistently poor attitudes, creating significant discomfort. During our son's asthma review, a nurse damaged our privately purchased medical performance graph, despite repeated requests to stop. She aggressively stated, "just print another one" and continued defacing the document. Her interaction with our son was unprofessional, making him nervous and uncomfortable. The nurse also provided contradictory treatment advice, destroying our confidence in the consultation. 4. The waiting room is large, open, and unwelcoming. Patients can clearly hear others' private medical information. Front desk interactions feel uncomfortable, with staff seemingly unfiltered when discussing personal details. Phone conversations openly reveal patients' birthdates, addresses, and names, violating privacy expectations. This lack of discretion is amplified during in-person interactions. Avoid this practice. Thoroughly unsatisfactory.
Stewart H.