Sydenham House Medical Centre
Sydenham House Med Centre, Mill Court, Ashford, Kent, TN24 8DNContact details and opening times
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Reviews
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Review titled Cannot get through to make appointment.
Rated 3 stars out of 5
by Anonymous - Posted on 27 January 2023
Trying to phone for an appointment no 50 in the queue at 8am, try to do econsult, no form available. I find this a poor service, there must be easier way to get an appointment. This has been my experience in the last few months.
Visited January 2023
Review titled Sydenham House Medical Centre
Replied on 30 January 2023
Good Morning, Thank you for your feedback. I am sorry for your experience in trying to get through via E-Consult. E-Consult service for the practice is open Monday-Friday from 8am, but once the limit of appointments are used, unfortunately E-Consult then closes until the next morning. This will then direct you to NHS 111 for further advice. Over the weekend the service is close so this will automatically direct you to NHS 111. I can assure you that we always want to help all our patients, but demand is very high, and far exceeds the resources that are available to us. This is why we have to switch off eConsult when we reach capacity. I am so sorry that you are finding it such a struggle to speak to a GP. Unfortunately, you have left no name or anyway that I can contact you. If your able to contact myself or the practice manager I can discuss with you. Kind Regards Chelsea Hodges Kind REg
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Review titled eConsults is a joke
Rated 2 stars out of 5
by Anonymous - Posted on 25 January 2023
I wanted to book an appointment with a GP about my mental health and decided to use eConsults. It was just before 9am on Wednesday; I tried to book an appointment. I could not book an appointment to talk to a doctor because I saw the following message: "Please note eConsults are only available during 8am-10am Monday to Friday You can submit a consultation again from 8am tomorrow. If you need help in the meantime, call 111 or .... Who is in control of eConsult? Have they got a watch? Can they tell the time? 111 cannot help me with my mental health.
Visited January 2023
Review titled Sydenham House Medical Centre
Replied on 26 January 2023
Good Afternoon, I am sorry you have not be able to get through via E-Consults. Unfortunately once the e-consult list is full it closes until the next morning. If you are able to give the surgery a call or email into sydenhamhouse@nhs.net someone will be able to help with your request. Kind Regards Chelsea Hodges
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Review titled Who knew getting prescription was so hard !
Rated 1 star out of 5
by Anonymous - Posted on 26 January 2023
I work strange hours and due to the poor service from my local pharmacies, I decided I would like to collect my prescription from my surgery, not fussy how I get it whether it be paper based or the prescription code and I would like to make the choice of which pharmacy I use when. I was told by the reception staff this would be ok about 5 months ago. Since then I have not been able to collect my prescription easily. As I need to have a prescription every 2 weeks roughly, this is beginning to grate on my nerves. I have the same conversation every time, with different less than helpful staff about the fact I don't have a designated pharmacy, I do know this. After every conversation no solution is offered, I have even been told via phone message a prescription for essential medication will not be released as I don't have a dedicated pharmacy despite putting in the notes on the online prescription ordering system I will collect from the surgery. Please help me with a solution that does not involve me having a dedicated pharmacy and allowing me to make a choice about how and where I get my prescription filled.
Visited January 2023
Review titled Sydenham House Medical Centre
Replied on 26 January 2023
Good Afternoon, I am sorry you seem to be having trouble with your prescriptions. Please would you be able to leave your name so we are able to contact you regarding your issues. Alternatively you can email in to sydenhamhouse@nhs.net or come to the surgery and request for the reception/practice manager and they will be able to help you. Kind Regards Chelsea Hodges
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Review titled Veey Inefficient
Rated 1 star out of 5
by Onyedikachi Chukwuma - Posted on 18 January 2023
It has been difficult getting appointments from this surgery recently even for children. At least on two occasions, they claimed there was no appointment slots left that I should call back the next day by 8 am as they're unable to book on advance. To my surprise I rang by 8.01am the next day and was told no available appointments and I was wondering if the slots were filled at night. This is the major reason why A/E and UTC departments are usually crowded. It's very frustrating especially when A/E and UTC waiting times are at least 10 hours. I understand that there is pressure in the system and probably staff shortage but there's room for improvement especially when compared to other surgeries.
Visited January 2023
Review titled Sydenham House Medical Centre
Replied on 26 January 2023
Good Afternoon I am sorry you have not be able to get an appointment at the practice. Our appointments are not pre-filled and are all bookable on the day. I hope you have arranged an appointment. We have an e-consult service that is open at 8am Monday to Friday that you can also use, but once these slots are filled unfortunately this closes until the next working day. Kind Regards Chelsea Hodges
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Review titled E consult
Rated 3 stars out of 5
by Mark Head - Posted on 31 October 2022
Good morning Today is the 31st October and since 26/10/2022 I have tried to raise an e consult to speak to a doctor. When the service was introduced all was good then it was changed to 8 to 10 only. Now it appears that it has again changed to allow only a set amount of e consults. Other surgeries e consults in Ashford are permanently open all day and provide a text message or email giving a consultation day. I have gone one each day at 8 am and after navigating being told to ring 111,go to A &E or ring doctor the e consult then reads try again from tomorrow at 8 am or ring surgery. What is the point of the system if you do not operate it as others and what is its point if I then have to sit on the phone for over an hour to request a doctor calls thus negating the need for your e consult service. We all appreciate that you have staff shortages but now after the recent merger the service offered is getting worse all ready which we were all assured would not happen. Please at least offer the service between the stated hours of 8 am to 10 am so that confidence in your service can improve
Visited October 2022
Review titled Sydenham House Medical Centre
Replied on 16 November 2022
Dear, Mr Head. Thank you for your comment. I apologise in the delay of my response. I am sorry for your frustration/experience in trying to get through via E-Consult. Our E-Consult is open every day at 8am but once the limit of appointments are used, unfortunately E-Consult then closes until the next morning. I hope you have managed to get through to get an appointment. You can email on sydenhamhouse@nhs.net for my attention if you wish to discuss. Kind Regards Chelsea Hodges
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Review titled Help!
Rated 1 star out of 5
by Anonymous - Posted on 14 October 2022
I never like to leave negative reviews but I am compelled to do so today. I work for the NHS so feel your pain and understand how busy we all are. But to enable me to work (full time) I require certain medication. I am absolutely desperate to speak to a GP but it is so difficult - I am always too late for the e-consult as I am so busy at work. I have tried ringing only to be told I am 50 in the queue! I do not have the time to wait, even on my break which is 20 minutes I have no hope of getting through. I feel so let down as I have always only ever had good things to say about the surgery. I am literally at my wits end and worry what will happen if I cannot get through to speak to a doctor.
Visited October 2022
Review titled Sydenham House Medical Centre
Replied on 16 October 2022
Dear Anonymous I am so sorry that you are finding it such a struggle to speak to a GP. Unfortunately, you have left no name or anyway that I can contact you. Perhaps you could leave another message with your details (NHS number) and then I can try and help you. I hope you will respond, so that I can help you. Warmest wishes Alison Stacey Service Delivery Manager
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Review titled Unable to contact even by E Consult
Rated 2 stars out of 5
by Yve White - Posted on 08 September 2022
As Principal Representative for my sister I needed to contact surgery but queue was number 38 and E Consult not working despite it stating available 8-10 Mon to Fri and I tried at 9.30 on a Thurs. No explanation. In exasperation called 111 which at least answered.
Visited September 2022
Review titled Sydenham House Medical Centre
Replied on 20 September 2022
Dear Yve White, Thank you for your feedback on the issues you have experienced. E-Consults are up and running every day, unfortunately once the appointments have been filled the system switches off until the next day. Unfortunately we cannot predict the amount of patients that might want to make contact or use the E-Consult system on any given day. Patients do find our phone lines are less busy after 10:30am. All feedback is given to senior management thank you again for comment. C. Hodges Clinical Governance Manager.
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Review titled Absolutely disgraceful!
Rated 1 star out of 5
by NatG - Posted on 02 August 2022
Nearly 1 and a half hours on hold (10 minutes of which was spent ringing through when the came out of the queue) only to be told that there were no appointments left as the surgery was closed this afternoon... I had been advised by the GP to call again today if my symptoms had not subsided, but was helpfully informed by the receptionist that I should call 111. Every time I have tried to use the e-consult facility over the last few months, it has not been open. It is apparently available between 8am and 10am on weekdays, but I have tried using it during these times only to find it closed. Apparently they close it when they reach a certain number. The overall system is clearly broken and is being run in a way which puts people off trying to get health issues resolved. I am utterly fed up with the cold, unhelpful manner of the majority of the receptionists who man the phones and will be looking into transferring surgeries (which is probably exactly what they are looking for people to do). Very disappointing, especially as in the past I have had nothing but good things to say about the practice - post-COVID, it has taken gone so far downhill, I wonder if it will ever recover or even if it wants to.
Visited July 2022
Review titled Sydenham House Medical Centre
Replied on 11 October 2022
Dear NatG Thank you for taking the time to leave a comment on NHS choices. I can assure you that we always want to help all our patients, but demand is very high, and far exceeds the resources that are available to us. This is why we have to switch off eConsult when we reach capacity. We have planned a training session for all the receptionists next month, and I will add your comments to this training session. I am sorry that you feel that we have let you down on this occasion If you want to discuss any of the above, or you feel I can help you with anything else, please contact me at the surgery. Best wishes Alison Stacey Service Delivery Manager
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Review titled Rubbish reception staff
Rated 2 stars out of 5
by Luka - Posted on 10 June 2022
The good stuff: The doctors I have met so far were always kind, professional and helpful. Huge thanks for that. The bad stuff: After dialing the surgery number you are being queued by the automated service. When I called, right after line got open, I was 11th in the queue and managed to get my turn in 15 minutes. Someone picked up the phone and put the receiver on the desk leaving me keep shouting "hello" to the phone like some mental parrot. After couple of minutes of listening to chitter-chatter in the background I got hanged-up on without a word and had to redial ending up at the end of the queue, which, by now, rose to 54 people! I had to leave work and book the slot in person because day before I was instructed by GP to get one first thing in the morning and couldn't afford to loose another day. When I asked receptionist what happened, I was told a new phone line was installed and they had some problems. How bizarre, a new phone line caused the same problem, to the same patient, third time within couple of years, where receptionist doesn't know that a picked up receiver goes to the ear not on the desk or back on the base. Sounds to me more like a common practice to get a breather at patient's expense rather than a genuine technical issue. Furthermore, once surgery called my workplace trying to speak to my daughter, who is in primary school age, and happily hanged up hearing such person does not work there. Of course, I have lost another day and another consultation. Sydenham House administration is oozing with incompetence and lack of interest to do the job right. Maybe understaffed, maybe overloaded with patients but that does not justify the routine - pick up the phone, tick the box, NEXT...
Visited June 2022
Sydenham House Medical Centre has not yet replied.