Last Friday a hospital doctor told me that the GP service in Bexley has
totally collapsed. The circumstances were as follows from which I conclude that
the National Health Service has become an absolute disgrace.
My
coeliac disease (gluten allergy) is usually well controlled but it occasionally
makes its presence felt with low level abdominal discomfort. If it goes on for a
long time I seek medical advice as it is too easy to dismiss it as just the same old gluten problem. It might not be.
Having had problems for about six weeks I phoned Bexley Group Practice on
Thursday 8th December. When I was last there a nurse whispered into my ear that
the doctors had decided to avoid seeing any patient in future if they could possibly avoid it.
I can well believe it, I think I have managed to see one twice in the past nine years.
I was therefore not surprised to be referred to a telephone app called AskFirst.
How many 79 year olds like me are happy to download an App to a Smart Phone? Not
me. However I found it worked via a web browser too.
After the usual rigmarole which included starting again because there is no Back
button I was eventually told that there was only one appointment left in the
whole of December, on the 22nd (two weeks) at a time that I was unable to attend. I declined
the poor offer from Bexley Group Practice and the App said a perfunctory ‘Goodbye’.
I started yet again and asked for a telephone appointment. The App said they
were not taking bookings and the utterly useless Bexley Group Practice once again bid me ‘Goodbye’.
Thinking the latter had to be a technical glitch I called in on Bexley
Group Practice the next day and related my experience, The receptionist
confirmed it, Bexley Group Practice was not doing GP appointments of any kind.
When I explained that NHS England is heavily advertising the circumstances in
which a GP needs to be seen urgently, the Bexley Group Practice receptionist simply shrugged.
Ever since Bexley Group Practice took over my local practice they have been
utterly useless so I called in at Lakeside Health Centre which is only ten
minutes walk from home to see about signing up to a new GP. What a difference,
the receptionist there was lovely and very helpful. When she heard what my
symptoms were she said I should get myself to Erith Urgent Care Centre as soon
as possible. I drove straight there.
Not as easy as it should have been because the NHS does not think it worth their
while to put up a sign on the road outside. Worse was that Urgent Care was closed.
I joined a queue of twelve hopefuls in the 0 degree Centigrade cold a minute after
2 p.m. In front of me was a lady
struggling to breathe, a man unable to stand and a couple of children with minor injuries.
Someone appeared at the door to say we were not allowed to keep warm
by standing in the
vestibule beyond the door as a jobsworth had decreed otherwise. After about 20
minutes a parent and child was allowed in while the second parent was sent away.
After 50 minutes it was my turn to be allowed inside.
After a further two hours and a bit a doctor called me in and heard my story.
She felt and poked in appropriate places and found nothing of immediate concern
but said I urgently needed a hospital appointment and only my own GP could refer
me. I said that Bexley Group Practice is not currently offering appointments
of any description and we briefly discussed the impact of useless practices like
Bexley Group Practice on the National Health Service as a whole. The GP service
in Bexley has collapsed I said, and she agreed it had totally.
She then emailed the useless Bexley Group Practice to tell them they must
contact me without delay and I was back in the car at 5:45 precisely.
Six days later the utterly useless Bexley Group Practice has been as useless as I have come to expect; not a word from them.
I am not alone. If you Google Bexley Group Practice and
check the reviews you will see that they are almost universally condemned as
being uncaring, unprofessional and utterly useless. I was a little amused (not very) to see
a Doctor there defending receptionists who apparently attend to telephone calls urgently. I have personally sat there
while the telephone rings continuously and the
receptionists discuss last night’s TV.
Index to NHS matters and the Utterly useless Bexley Group Practice.