Helston Medical Centre
Trelawney Road, Helston, Cornwall, TR13 8AUContact details and opening times
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Review titled Total lack of care
Rated 1 star out of 5
by Pauline Williams - Posted on 10 October 2022
I rang at 8.30am on Thursday 6th October. I had a very painful, hard and hot calf. I asked for an appointment, i was told i had to have a telephone assessment first. I did say i was concerned that this may be a DVT, and if it moved i would be in great trouble or could even die. I was just told to go to urgent care then. I thought we were supposed to avoid hospitals wherever possible, so this felt like a throw away statement. I left it so i would receive a phone call in case urgent care could not help. I contacted 111 on line and they suggested urgent referral to gp practice or if not available to go to urgent care. I waited until 10.30 and had heard nothing so i went to Camborne/Redruth urgent care unit. Nothing was too much trouble, i was assessed by triage and was seen within the hour, the gp spent a long time on my medical history and current issues. He determined it to be a strained muscle. I explained how many falls etc i keep having. During my time with the gp i had 2 phone calls and two voice mails (i had the phone turned off) this was after midday. The last voice message was quite rude and said i am not going to try and ring you again, please attend the doctors at 2pm. By the time i left the hospital it was after 12.30. I rang in to cancel the appointment and was told i was no. 14 in the queue, but if i pressed 8 someone would ring me back when my place in the queue was reached. I left it until 1.30 and rang again to find the practice closed 1 until 2. I rang in immediately at 2, did not want to waste doctors time, yet again in a queue and at 2.08 managed to speak with someone and cancel the appointment. On yet another matter with the surgery. I finally had a call from the Physio unit at Helston Hospital, i was referred in April, for problems with my knee and shoulder. The lady who rang me apologised for the wait in referral, and i asked if it had been put on the referral that i am a carer for my 40 year old autistic daughter with learning disability (also a patient at the practice with same gp) who is on high rate PIP, she needs showering and dressing as well as 24 hour care, she confirmed it was not in the referral. If it had been they would have seen me as an urgent case much sooner. What is the problem at this practice. I have repeatedly (16 years that i have been with the practice) told them i am a carer, but do not get any preference with appointments to fit my caring duties (would not have been able to take 2pm appointment re leg as i have to collect my daughter from daycare at 3 in Camborne). Repeatedly care for the carers say gp will prioritise appointments and give an appointment that we can make, but this practice seems to totally ignore this directive, which i believe is specified by the Government. None of these problems with the practice are due to Covid, just total lack of empathy and care.
Visited October 2022
Review titled Helston Medical Centre
Replied on 10 October 2022
Dear Ms Williams, Thank you for your comments. We are sorry for your experiences when interacting with the medical centre and would like the opportunity to investigate this matter further. In order to do this, we need additional patient identifiable information. We would welcome you contact the medical centre with DOB and Telephone numbers used to contact the medical centre. This would then allow the Operations Manager to investigate and feedback. An email contact to provide this information is enquiries.helstonmc@nhs.net Regards Wendy Hunter - Practice Manager