Sydenham Green Group Practice
26 Holmshaw Close, Sydenham, London, Greater London, SE26 4THContact details and opening times
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Reviews
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Review titled Impossible to book appointments
Rated 1 star out of 5
by Anonymous - Posted on 23 June 2023
I have been trying for more than 2 weeks to book an appointment using the online app. There are never appointments available. Called several times, at 8.00am (when it opens) and the calls drop continuosly until finally after 5th or 6th call I get through and it says I am person 40th in the queue or something like that, wait around 45 minutes to get to someone for them to say there are no available appointments. My GP told me to schedule this appointment and I haven't managed to get it. The booking system is absolutely dreadful and it is clear they do not have the capacity to manage the amount of patients they have. Do not recommend.
Visited June 2023
Review titled Sydenham Green Group Practice
Replied on 20 July 2023
Dear Patient, thank you for taking the time to comment on our Practice. I understand your frustrations with the appointments and please be assured that we are working on a number of ways to improve the situation. Regarding your particular concerns, please contact either Pamella Greaves (deputy practice manager) or Ed Hillan (practice manager) at LEWCCG.sggp@nhs.net to discuss. Yours, Ed Hillan Practice Manager
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Review titled This GP Practice needs to improve asap
Rated 1 star out of 5
by Anonymous - Posted on 18 May 2023
I cannot believe how awful this practice is! You are advised to use the AskFirst App to book an appointment but when you try there are no appointments available. You call the surgery and no one answers; you're left waiting in a queue for goodness knows for how long and then your call is terminated and this process is repeated over and over again until you just give up...My advice is please find another GP as sadly this one will leave you frustrated.
Visited May 2023
Review titled Sydenham Green Group Practice
Replied on 20 July 2023
Dear Patient, thank you for taking the time to comment on our practice. We are aware of pressures and will be implementing new booking systems in the near future to try and address them. Yours, Ed Hillan Practice Manager
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Review titled Worst practice in Lewisham
Rated 1 star out of 5
by Anonymous - Posted on 15 May 2023
Sydenham Green is rated one of the worst practices in Lewisham. Trying to get an appointment here is ridiculous compared to other practices. On several occasions I have waited in a long que outside the practice from 7.30am 30mins before te practice opens and have still not been able to obtain an appointment. You try ringing at 8am and if your lucky to get through you end up being mostly above 50 in the que. If your lucky to get through, there is one specific very rude receptionist there who is arrogant with poor phone communication and no repect for the patients. When I've been lucky to see a doctor and been waiting for an appointment at surgery, this same arrogant rude receptionist clearly does not get on with all staff members as overheard a very unprofessional conversation this receptionist had with I believe the manager, regarding not being able to work with a specific colleague at work. The manager was telling the receptionist that it is only one day working with is other person etc.. Clearly this receptionist has issues at work and issues with patients - tell tell sign that the issue is the receptionist! This same receptionist will rudely and arrogantly ask why you need an appointment, which I appreciate why to ensure you are allocated the right health professional, but a patient is totally in their right as per NHS policy and GP policy to explain it is private/ personal and for an appointment still to be allocated. Most of te doctors switch and change and largely no continuity. I understand this practice is ove stretched like most GPS but this practice can clearly better manage its systems, appoinment bookings, retrain staff better just like other practices. I honestly think this practice needs to be shut down and restarted again from scratch. Honestly awful practice, doctors not able to fully keep track of patients health compared to other practices, this results in patients health declining which could easily be avoided. I undestand that funding has an impact on GP services but this practice compared to others with the same funding issues are still able to be patient focused. This surely tells Sydenham Green that their management practices and patient care are vastly flawed compared to other practices. This is why this GP practice wa ls voted the worst in Lewisham and also worst in Bromley
Visited May 2023
Review titled Sydenham Green Group Practice
Replied on 20 July 2023
Dear Patient, thank you for taking the time to comment on our practice. I understand your frustration but I believe that the correct way to raise your concerns about an individual receptionist is via the management of the surgery, rather than leaving reviews which do not allow the practice the means to identify the problem and fix it. Please contact Pamella Greaves (Deputy Practice Manager) on LEWCCG.sggp@nhs.net to discuss. Yours, Ed Hillan Practice Manager
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Review titled Impossible to book an appointment
Rated 1 star out of 5
by Mariana M da S Castro - Posted on 03 March 2023
I am with this GP for 7 months and the book appointment procedure got impossible. I am treating for very serious conditions and trying for months to book an appointment with the doctor as I am always informed by the receptionist that the doctor wants to do a review before repeating my prescription. I take my treatments vey seriously but is been impossible to book an app with the doctor either by phone or app. When you call the practice at 8:00 ,the queue is horribly long, 40,50 people and you stay hours them your call is always ended with no appointment booked. On the app the same. You never find an appointment with the GP. They forward you to 111 that doesn’t sorted out your problem, just give emergency medication. This need to change asap for people to be able to get help they deserve. I am not asking to book an appointment for the same day. Can be forward, even for the next month. But you have to be able to book an appointment. The way is doing now , is impossible to keep your medical conditions under control as you are always with no medication. Please, we need help!
Visited March 2023
Review titled Sydenham Green Group Practice
Replied on 09 March 2023
Dear Mariana, thank you for taking the time to comment on our practice. I appreciate the issues with getting appointments; we are working to increase the size of the clinical team to improve what we can offer to patients but we are aware that it is a struggle. If you would like to discuss further, please contact either Pamella Greaves (deputy practice manager) or Ed Hillan (practice manager) at LEWCCG.sggp@nhs.net to discuss. Yours, Ed Hillan Practice Manager
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Review titled Impossible to get an appointment, and incorrect advice given
Rated 1 star out of 5
by Anonymous - Posted on 30 March 2023
I had been unable to book an appointment for a smear test, trying every now and then, regularly reminded by texts from Sydenham Group Practice to do so. I tried phoning many times - 30 to 50 minutes waiting time on the phone, listening to a repeated message saying it was easy to book ‘exclusive’ appointments (what other kind are there?) via the Ask First Ap. I tried the Ap, which tells you when you use it that Sydenham Group Practice does not offer nurse’s appointments via this portal. I tried via Patient Access (which appears below the words “book an appointment” on the surgery's website). I saw a message saying I had reached a permissible limit on making appointments this way, despite not having made one for at least two years. At the same time, I contacted the front desk using their on line form enquiring how I could get my repeat prescription, as this had vanished from Patient Access, and was told by text from the Assistant Practice Manager that I needed to make an appointment for a medication review. I replied “how”, given the problems experienced? I received no reply. Contacting the same person a few days later, telling her I had had no success with phoning or using the Ask First Ap, I was told to “try signing out and in again”. Of course, I had already done that multiple times, even trying in the middle of the night to see if it made any difference and trying out different permutations in the tick box answers required. Do you want advice/ treatment/referral/other? It made no difference, there are never any appointments. I called again on 24th March and got to number one in the queue – then the phone rang and rang and no-one answered. I emailed the Practice Manager – no reply yet, six days later. Eventually today, I got through, using two telephones simultaneously. When I explained the difficulty I had had, the receptionist told me that Sydenham Green Group Practice is not offering any appointment bookings on Patient Access, but the receptionist could not explain why the website invites you to do so. She also said that it is not possible to make an appointment for a medication review via the Ask First Ap, yet I had been instructed to do that by the Assistant Manager. The doctors – if you get to see one – are good. But the management of this surgery has been baleful for a long time but it is simply beyond a joke now. And yet they are looking to take on more patients!
Visited March 2023
Review titled Sydenham Green Group Practice
Replied on 20 July 2023
Dear Patient, thank you for taking the time to comment on our practice. I understand the concerns you have raised, especially around the inconsistent messaging. We are working to change the ways in which we use apps and internet booking to make it simpler for patients with the aim of improving the whole patient experience and increasing access to appointments. This should be in place in the coming months. In regard to your final point, we are not given a choice as to whether we take on more patients; the NHS will not allow us to refuse registration to patients living within the practice area. Yours, Ed Hillan Practice Manager
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Review titled Unhelpful GP service
by march9th - Posted on 20 March 2023
My husband recently had his gall bladder removed in Abu Dhabi (amazing treatment). Last week he had a pancreatitis recurrence and was hospitalized in Basingstoke ( pretty good treatment here). They asked for him to get repeat blood tests on Monday at home. We got a face to face appointment on the Monday. You need your blood pressure taken they said - we don't do that her, go to a pharmacy. So a gp has no equipment with which to spend a minute taking a blood pressure? What if the pharmacy said it was not good? Go and see your GP.... Utter nonsense. We don't sort blood test here - go home and log in. Which we did and booked it at the same practice for Friday - a whole eek after the hospital requested it. More nonsense. What if we had no internet or laptop? No wonder there is disquiet about the nhs. These sort of things are just rubbish. The phone line is no better giving info that is clearly out of date - eg your appointment will be only via telephone. Seriously not good enough.
Visited March 2023
Provided by Care opinion
Review titled Sydenham Green Group Practice
Replied on 20 July 2023
Dear March9th Thank you for taking the time to comment on our practice. I understand your frustration with the services offered. We are working to improve the phone but part of the way in which we are reducing pressure is by ensuring that care is being provided at the appropriate place; in many cases that means that pharmacies and other clinics are used. Yours, Ed Hillan Practice Manager
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Review titled Friendly and reassuring
Rated 4 stars out of 5
by Anonymous - Posted on 01 February 2023
I spent the expected long time waiting to get through this morning, the receptionist was helpful and polite and even though there were no appointments she reassured me that I’d get a call back- which I did. The person who called me back was thorough and was able to make an appointment with the duty doctor. He was understanding and patient with my four year old son. Thank you Sydenham Green Group Practice
Visited February 2023
Review titled Sydenham Green Group Practice
Replied on 08 February 2023
Dear Patient, thank you for taking the time to comment on our Practice. I apologise for your difficulties in getting through to us and in getting appointments but I am reassured that the duty system worked and your son was taken care of. Yours, Ed Hillan Practice Manager
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Review titled Frustrating booking system
by augustxe89 - Posted on 14 February 2023
I joined the queue for an appointment for my daughter at 8:00am. I was told after a lengthy recorded message I was no. 36 in queue. After 1 hour and 8 minutes my call was answered to be told there were no appointments and to call 111 or go to urgent care centre. I was very disappointed to hear this and asked how many operators were answering calls; I was told 4 and that operator was not able to comment on any information regarding how long calls took to answer. Your recorded message is still telling callers that Sydenham Green is not offering face to face appointments. Why can’t the recorded message change once all appointments are taken to save time for callers? So frustrating to wait to hear no appointments when you have a sick child
Visited February 2023
Provided by Care opinion
Review titled Sydenham Green Group Practice
Replied on 09 March 2023
Dear Patient, thank you for taking the time to comment on our Practice. I understand your frustrations with the appointments and please be assured that we are working on a number of ways to improve the situation. Thank you for bringing the issue with the phone message to our attention; I will look into this now. Regarding your particular concerns, please contact either Pamella Greaves (deputy practice manager) or Ed Hillan (practice manager) at LEWCCG.sggp@nhs.net to discuss. Yours, Ed Hillan Practice Manager
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Review titled Not user friendly.
Rated 1 star out of 5
by Kate - Posted on 30 January 2023
I have been trying to book appointments for the last year now to reduce my medication and I cannot get through. I finally got through to somebody for them to tell me that they don’t book appointments at any other time then 8 o’clock in the morning or through the app, both of which I have been unsuccessful with. I think this needs to be looked into as I have been taking medication for longer than I have wanted to because I cannot get through to somebody to reduce it.
Visited January 2023
Review titled Sydenham Green Group Practice
Replied on 08 February 2023
Dear Kate, thank you for taking the time to comment on our Practice. I understand your frustrations with the appointments and please be assured that we are working on a number of ways to improve the situation. Regarding your particular concerns, please contact either Pamella Greaves (deputy practice manager) or Ed Hillan (practice manager) at LEWCCG.sggp@nhs.net to discuss. Yours, Ed Hillan Practice Manager