Church Lane Surgery (Braintree)
EB
Eleiyas B. 4 years ago • From Google
Bad
Updated 13/07/2022. I'm truly at a loss to pinpoint whether the blame lies with the staff, management, or Virgin Health Care (recently rebranded), but this GP surgery might just be the most incompetent in the entire United Kingdom. Despite apparently receiving a reprimand from government authorities, and based on recent reviews and my personal experiences over the past four years since returning to the UK, virtually nothing has improved. Regrettably, when I relocated to Braintree, despite warnings from locals, this was the sole surgery accepting new patients after all others had closed their registration. With a background of mental health challenges, specifically depression, my initial appointment at Church Lane was quickly secured by physically arriving at 8AM (phone calls are futile). However, the GP seemed incredibly indifferent, essentially reducing our consultation to "take these pills, I'll follow up in a week and then biweekly". An initial follow-up occurred, followed by another three weeks later, after which communication abruptly ceased. Unexpectedly, six months later, an unfamiliar GP randomly contacted me, apparently reviewing "unclosed cases" and stumbling upon my file. Seriously!? When requiring a tetanus booster after a rusty nail injury, they initially directed me to Broomfield A&E and suggested taking a taxi when I explained my lack of transportation. Eventually, after my persistence, they administered the booster at the surgery. We're consistently advised against burdening A&E with minor issues, yet Church Lane seemed eager to redirect me. During another mild depressive period, appointment availability was non-existent, forcing me to contact 111, which miraculously prompted Church Lane to schedule a next-day appointment—contrary to their website's two-week waiting claim. Paradoxically, instead of their usual nonchalance, they overcompensated by contacting CRISIS and mental health support groups, resulting in overwhelming daily phone bombardments requiring me to disable my phone. A subsequent check-up call gave a fleeting impression of improvement, but predictably dissolved into silence. My most recent encounter—prompting this review update—involved a supposedly scheduled "online phone appointment" that simply... vanished. No communication whatsoever. The appointment's logistics remained completely unclear: Was I expected to initiate the call? Were they supposed to contact me? Was it a Zoom meeting? Absolutely no information was available. How could someone less technologically proficient navigate such ambiguity? Discovering my notification settings were inactive raised concerns about potential similar experiences for other patients. The ultimate insult came via an 8PM text: "You missed your appointment, we hope all is well"—demonstrating their capability to send messages they conveniently chose not to use earlier. Attempting to reschedule is now impossible, as their online system no longer accepts appointment requests, and everyone knows calling is an exercise in futility—endless hold times culminating in disconnection. What an absolute mockery of healthcare.
Julie H.