General Discussion
100% My Doctor is amazing and has been for many many years i have recently thought of moving back north and the only thing that stops me is having to change Doctors. I think we are very lucky in Dawlish to have the Barton Surgery.
You want to thank your lucky stars you have a surgery and hospital. Try living in America or New Zealand wher you have to pay for everything. God bless our NHS.
@monty - it's far from free and the management structure and policies are killing the service.
Interesting reads:-
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/nhs-reference-costs-2009-2010
Sorry to butt in, but it's the government that's killing the NHS. It's as simple as that. And it won't get any better when Theresa May and/or her cronies, privatises the NHS and paves the way for her friends at American private healthcare firm Kaiser Permanente to take over.
I have moved to Dawlish recently from a city where we had to wait up to three weeks for a non emergency GP appointment. To get an emergency one, you, or in my case a non sick member of the family had to visit the surgery dead on 8.30 a.m. because you could never get through on the phone. I have nothing but praise for the Barton Surgery. Appointments have been easy to obtain, and all the staff we have dealt with have been so helpful and thoroughly professional. I shall shortly experience Torbay Hospital, but for now the Barton Surgery has a massive "thumbs up" from us. If any staff there are reading this....THANK YOU.
Be grateful that you have a doctor - there have been reports that in some parts of the country doctors have closed their lists to new patients.
There are good doctors at the Barton Surgery, and there are poorly performing doctors at the Barton Surgery. The good doctors are listeners and follow-up on their patients at an appropriate level following NICE guidelines, but there are poorly performing doctors who cause added burden to the paramedic service (who mop up the mess after-hours, along with the walk-in centres). Poorly performing doctors have misdiagnosed three members of my family, and one has even challenged the consultant's diagnosis which led to him receiving a fierce letter from the specialist about his arrogance. Poor quality care has caused the following problems in my family:
Failure to diagnose cancer for 2 years, and treating it as an alternative benign condition despite symptoms. Diagnosed eventually at terminal-stage when it was too late to treat it, and still took Barton Surgery weeks to pass the news onto the patient and get him into oncology care. Dreadful service.
GP failed to call to see above patient as an emergency. When he failed to come as promised, a paramedic was called out who marched into his clinic and shouted at him for leaving a patient in such a state.
District nurses altered above patient record to claim that relatives had refused access to the patient when they called. This was because their standards of care had been negligent to the point of needing to get him admitted to hospital to treat infections. They hadn't turned up for weeks. His patient paper records then went 'missing' and were replaced with new documents erasing all these comments.
Challenging my son's life-threatening diagnosis despite multiple emergency admissions. Neurologist was shocked by standards of GP care.
Failing to diagnose genetic illness in myself and my children, despite obvious symptoms. Very dismissive and keen to hand out opiates as a 'remedy'. Took a specialist 2 minutes to spot and diagnose the problem.
Had some good experiences with health professionals at the practice, and we should all value a public sector health service that provides much care free to the community. I think we all have a duty as patients to be vigilant and responsible for our own health, and to have the confidence to challenge poor quality care, as well as commend excellent care when we find it. We should also realise that health professionals are human, prone to mistakes and working under considerable stress within a framework of clinical guidelines, budget cuts and increasing patient expectations.
I think there's good and bad doctors, there's definitely ones I avoid! The main issue for me is the limited time they have to deal with a problem which can mean missing things. Follow ups are also not great and in some places non existent when there's a serious medical condition. There's a discrepancy between what the pharmacist tells people should be happening (yearly blood tests) v what you will actually get.
That said, I've had a couple of emergencies with children where they've been fantastic and very quick acting.
When my Wife and I signed up at the Barton Surgery we were assigned a particular doctor. On our first visit we arrived some 15 minuets before our appt. then we waited another hour. When we were called in to the consulting room the doctor who I will not mention told my wife and I we had five minuets to explain our problems as the doctor was running late so be quick. That's what we were told, believe me that we had a few words for this doctor and this was directed at the doctor. There is only one doctor there that takes the time to listen and act.
@monty - and i have said in the thread below. what has been done to resolve the issue caused by patients, especially repeat offenders, not turning up for their appointments/cancelling them?
All well and good using that as an excuse, but it is just poor management by the surgery not to rectify this issue, which is well in their power to resolve quickly.
Thankfully, I have had excellent service from the Barton surgery over the years.
I have been able to get an appoinment quickly when it is urgent.
I have had treatment arranged quickly where I have had to go elsewhere for diagnosis, followed by excellent treatment.
I have had cancer, now cured. I have had heart by-passes and I have quite recently had a major abdominable aneurysm operation RD&E where I also had excellent care, so I am still alive with the great help of the Barton Surgery and other parts of the wonderful NHS.
@ Daverc, No This Questionnaire is on paper which you can only pick up from the Surgery when you go in.
Why can't the Surgery put it on Line.
@majorp you have been extremely fortunate in your dealings with the barton surgery, my view of that practice is unprintable on this forum.
Burnside, because I have on occasions had to visit the surgery many times, I have seen and watched what goes on.
I have seen potential patients swear at the receptionists and on one occasionn, there was a young lad with a very yong child that went into see my doctor before me, and really upset my doctor. Luckily, because I always addressed my doctor by his first name, we struck up quite a rapor over the years. This young lad went into the doctors room and swore like mad, demanding he (the doctor) give him a fix immediately. Well that was not on, and I wondered how many others like that come into the surgery everyday. It must have an effect on the doctors, after all they are human beings. Those sort of people for some unknown reason are drawn to Dawlish, so in one way or another we all feel their effects when they mouth off.
I have noticed that there has been an influx of new Druggies/alcoholics. I have seen them getting of the train the magnet for them to come here is there is no law enforcement and they know if caught they just get a telling off and asked to move on but they come back again. As reported some time ago a man who was convicted at Exeter Crown Court and in his statement to the court was "It's easier to get drugs in Dawlish than in London" that's why they make a bee line for this town. Drinking alcohol and drugs still goes on moreso on the Lawn.....
I have recently had a planned operation at Torbay Hospital, and I have to say that I have nothing but praise for my treatment and care. The ward was spotlessly clean and all the staff, from the cleaners and caterers to all medical staff were very professional, cheerful and caring. After discharge I have had excellent service from the Outreach Team who have visited me always on time. I had to phone them up once because of an unexpected development with my condition, and they sent a nurse round to me that day, who arrived almost within the hour. Considering Dawlish is at the far edge of their area, I was very impressed. All the staff I have had contact with have been so helpful and left me with the impression that nothing would be too much trouble for them. Again, a big thank you to all concerned.
@vicks, all i can say is you were lucky. my husband was not so lucky, neither at torbay hospital nor barton surgery. and when i have shared my experience with friends in dawlish they all agree that services, particularly at torbay who failed their inspection last year, are horrendous!
I wonder if some people have an attitude problem and that that is quickly regognised by the staff. Because I don't know why some of us get excellent service and others are always complaining about it. There must be an answer there somewhere.
I don't really need to jump in here, but I'm with leatash, majorp and vicks here. Excellent service from both Barton Surgery and Torbay Hospital.
The behaviour of the receptionists at the Surgery has improved no end in the 17 years I've been here. Maybe I've just been lucky ?
I'm very sorry some of you have had different experiences: particularly with the Surgery, 'cos there's nowhere else you can go, is there ?
One of my other good experiences I have had with the Barton Surgery.
I was waiting in the queue on one occasion (maybe a couple of years ago) when the lady in front of me was complaining about the cost of ringing the surgery to make an appointment. I didn't know there was a cost.
When I got into see my doctor, after he had dealt with the problem I had, he asked me if there was anything else I needed to discuss. I said yes, and proceeded to raise the issue of the cost of ringing the surgery. He immediately picked up the phone ( and at that time I had no idea who he had rang), but when he had finished on the phone, he told me to wait in the waiting room where I would be called into see the practice manager.
I again explained to her about the cost of ringing the surgery, she knew nothing about it as it was BT that had set things up and the surgery did not know that patients were being charged. It was rectified immediately. But had I not overheard this little old lady complaining about it, then for all I know, it could have still been going on today. So it just goes to show that if you do not complain, then how would others know that there is anything wrong.
Lots of surgeries in the past used premium rate contact numbers, until NHS England put a stop to the dubious practice.
http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/millions-patients-still-being-ripped-off-5670691
@Margaret Swift, I am sad that you have had bad experiences with our local health services. In the past, in another part of the country, my family has too, so I sympathise.
I am only coming back on your comment that I was lucky. That would mean I have been lucky several times so far with the Barton Surgery, and I do not believe that my comments regarding Torbay Hospital were down to luck. I appreciate that fortunately I did not experience A & E. My operation was planned. However, if I am that lucky, then perhaps I should become a gambling man!!!
A survey published today by the BBC has detailed the performance targets for all the NHS trusts, it makes grim reading for patients living in this area. Both Torbay and RDE Trusts failed to meet targets for A&E, cancer care, and planned ops & care. Torbay fared significantly worse than RDE, which doesn't surprise me in the least. The results can be found by entering a postcode here
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-41483322
There are a lot of things that people can do to relieve the pressure felt by the NHS and the ancillary services. One thing I have noticed is the extreme over weight of both sexes and I do mean extreme and not just a bit over weight. Smoking still causes many health problems, but many still do it despite the risks. Drinking is another problem and I have been told that Saturday nights are causing great concern with the over-load of drunkards and later with diseases of the liver, but they still do it. I could go on, as many problems of health are self inflicted and those health problems affect us all. Having to get treated for something that just happened is fair does but having treatment for something that could be avoided is shame on them.