Open Door Surgery
47 Boundaries Road, Balham, London, Greater London, SW12 8EUContact details and opening times
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Reviews
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Review titled Refusing to accept appintments over the phone
Rated 1 star out of 5
by Anonymous - Posted on 02 March 2025
I recently phoned up to query a telephone call I'd received while at work a couple of days previously. The receptionist was not at all helpful and just kept insisting that I had to fill out an online form to book an appointment. I spoke with the same receptionist in person later that day and was told that this change had been mandated by the NHS and was better for the patient. This contradicts what is stated on the NHS website: "If you think you need an appointment at your GP surgery, you can contact them: -using a form on your GP surgery's website (many surgeries also have a form you can access if you use the NHS App or log into your account on the NHS website) -by phone -in person, by going into the surgery and talking to the receptionist" Stopping patients from booking appointments over the phone or in person is most definitely not in their best interest, it will only make it harder for people who struggle with technology; it makes no sense, unless the aim is to reduce waiting lists by making healthcare inaccessible? I also spoke with three other surgeries, none of whom had heard of any new guidance that appointments must only be booked online, so I'm unsure where the confusion has come from. Having a busy job, I haven't got the time to be filling out online forms, not knowing what the response is going to be and potentially having to email back and forth to find a time that is suitable for both me and the surgery, such things take less than a minute over the phone. As with many people, I often have to travel and join meetings at short notice so prefer to just put aside an hour of my day to attend an appointment, which then leaves me free to manage the rest of my diary.
Visited February 2025
Review titled Open Door Surgery
Replied on 07 March 2025
Thank you for sharing your feedback. I’m sorry to hear about your experience and the frustration it caused. While we encourage the use of our online appointment form to improve efficiency, I’d like to assure you that bookings can still be made by phone or in person. I regret if this was not made clear during your interaction. We strive to follow NHS guidance, which highlights multiple options for contacting GP surgeries, and I will review this matter with our team to ensure our processes and communication align with these standards. We understand that not everyone finds online systems suitable and that accessibility is vital. Your point about the challenges of managing appointments with a busy schedule is well noted, and we’ll take this into account as we work to improve our approach. Thank you again for bringing this to our attention. Your input is invaluable in helping us provide better care for all our patients.
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Review titled Making it very difficult to book an appointment.
Rated 1 star out of 5
by Anonymous - Posted on 24 May 2023
You previously used to be able to phone and book an appointment easily, and availability was often good. It would take a couple of minutes to book the appointment, and at most, you had to put aside an hour from your day to attend. They've now introduced a system whereby you're sent a text message directing you to an online form, once this has been filled out, you have to wait to receive call back. When I tried to use it, I never received a call back. This means that I couldn't make or receive calls, or join meetings at work, as taking the call to get an appointment was my priority. It also means that you can't make any plans, because you don't know whether you'll be offered an appointment at 2pm, or 3pm, or tomorrow. This system is completely inconsiderate of people who have jobs that mean they can't spend all day waiting for a call, or people who have difficulty with technology. It's in no way an improvement over making an appointment over the phone in two minutes.
Visited May 2023
Review titled Open Door Surgery
Replied on 25 May 2023
Thank you very much for your feedback. We will discuss your comment in our practice meeting. It will be very helpful if you can you please contact our practice manager at swlicb.pm.opendoor@nhs.net so that we can go through with your concerns in greater details. We have operated a walk in system but we do offer pre bookable appointment as well.