Tower Hamlets Involvement Network

Patient and User Comments

Jan - May 2009

Contents

1.Source of comments

2.GP Centres

1.Hospital Services

2.Mental Health

3.Dental care, Pharmacies and Opticians

4.Older People’s Services

5.Maternity

6.Physical and Learning Disability Services

7.Major diseases

8.End of Life care

9.Environment issues

  1. Background and source of comments

This report simply combines all of the comments that THINk has gathered from local residents, patients and users on their experience of health and social care services in Tower Hamlets and how they could be improved. Analysis of the information is taking place at the moment and will help inform how THINk prioritises its work over the coming 12 months.

All comments are from the THINk event launch on the 25th April unless otherwise stated as below.

OPRG: Older People’s Reference Group

THINk Survey:A survey which was sent out to all members of THINk either via the internet or by post

UMS: Usha Mohila Somity group of women Bangladeshi carers of adult children with physical and learning difficulties.

  1. GP Centres

Comments of User

  • Spitalfields Centre:

Appointments are difficult and no one answers the phone!

Reception staff should be taught politeness and customer care

GPs do not have time to talk. They are too rushed and reach wrong diagnosis

The Spitalfields practise is orderly, quiet; systems seem to be operated well by the staff which is important in a large practice. GP appears to have all necessary equipment and quiet space. Premises well maintained (except for inefficient door springs which waste heat). Pressure from constant health promotion messages in reception areas. Arrivals confirmation - screen is difficult for computer illiterates; and confused English needs correction. On site blood tests are to my advantage. (THINk Survey)

  • Cable Street :

My GP surgery provides conflicting information about service delivery. At times we are told they are open during Saturday mornings and at other times they are not. We do not know what is going on!

  • GP out of hours clinic – Please make physically present patients a priority to phone enquiries
  • XX Place Surgery:

Good service. I have used walk in centre and was treated quickly and well. Very good information from leaflet on how to organise consultation with the doctor. Regarding understanding of condition treatment and future outcome.

XX Place is a great surgery. They need more information on welfare benefit etc at reception point. The reception staff need to be more friendly

People serving at the reception were not experienced in dealing with customers, they were not polite, they are rude and one sided. (THINk Survey)

  • Tredeson Practice :

My GP recognised my mother is suffering from depression and regularly meets with her with a translator offering counselling services.

  • Strouts Place Medical Centre has a friendly atmosphere, friendly workers, clean, punctuality helpful. A great experience. (THINk Survey)
  • Albion Health Centre:

I can get an appointment with my own G.P. at any time I need it. She is friendly and supportive at all times. (THINk Survey)

  • St Katherines Docks Surgery :

Doctor Sarit Patel was very calm, understanding and didn’t rush me (THINk Survey)

  • St Pauls Way Medical Centre:

I always face problem. I will go all the way to the surgery and they would cancel the booking as there is no interpreter available. Another problem I have is they keep giving me different doctors’ every time I go for consultation. We cannot build a rapport with the doctor. (UMS)

  • Poplar Road

I do not have any problem. No problem with the appointment. They do it routinely every six months. I do not go to the surgery at the end of my road. It is not good. I go to poplar road. (UMS)

  • The hours at island Health centre for phlebotomy services are not long enough
  • I have been working in Tower Hamlets for a long time. Progress is too slow in providing services for Bangladeshi patients
  • My GP did not want to talk to me when being pregnant and was bleeding. He said via his assistant over the phone that it was no change from previous. How did he know?
  • I was kept waiting at GP out of hours clinic for 70 minutes with suspected appendicitis in loads of pain! GPs saw me (being the only person there) but were too busy answering phones.
  • Sometimes the computers systems being utilised by GP centres have glitches in them and this causes all sorts of problems for patients/staff. Once we received a DNA letter by mistake!
  • My experience as a new patient of the Limehouse practice was exceptional. The reception, attention, new patient assessment and follow-up have been the best service I have ever received in any GP practice I have used or associated with over a number of years in an allied profession. (THINk Survey)
  • The surgery that I am registered with is more like a ....for a lucrative business. BUT the locums are very good. Those I have met have all been young and appear not to be at all ...minded. i.e. they will look into my complaint and refer you further treatment if necessary
  • They are only interested in ...... not your ailment
  • “Mine is terrific called at 8.30pm last night as he was concerned as to how I am getting on with medication. The practice has district nurses, the head one has been to see me twice and called. They also have physio.” (OPRG 12/03/08)
  • “I’m very well served, specialist nurses in heart and diabetes, heart one circulates around. I can’t fault them. “(OPRG 12/03/08)
  • “Mine is X practice with about 6 Drs, have blood testing, heart monitoring, my GP is fantastic. One criticism is if I have to make an appointment for 3 months ahead I have to ring a month before because she is so overloaded with work. She works till 11 at night doing paperwork.” (OPRG 12/03/08)
  • “Told my Dr I’m getting a second opinion, took sample, told got infection now have to go back to hospital in June for more tests. Getting second opinion is best. My wife fell and I asked for an x-ray, they wouldn’t give her one but a week later I had a go at them and they apologized.” (OPRG 12/03/08)
  • “Mine is a very good group practice, I can see any doctor, prefer my own but as long as I see a Dr it’s ok. There is a dentist there, all that - they have everything.” (OPRG 12/03/08)
  • “That seems to be increasing [large practices with lots of services available]. I’m a great believer in it. They should do a shift system. “(OPRG 12/03/08)
  • “My previous GP was fantastic, if I didn’t show up I got a phone call but since my GP retired the practice has gone downhill. Am told I can’t get an appointment if I call on a Monday morning. There are going to be changes though, I’ve heard they are getting more GPs and a pharmacist, try and have physiotherapist and all sorts which will be a lot better.” [Referring to PCT seeking tenders for new company to run the practice]. (OPRG 12/03/08)
  • “I’ve no complaints apart from the fact that I have only seen my own Dr twice in 2 years.” (OPRG 12/03/08)
  • “If you have an emergency and phone between 8-9am you can see Dr that morning. It won’t be my Dr, but I will see someone.” (OPRG 12/03/08)
  • “The less said the better about mine.” (OPRG 12/03/08)
  • “My surgery is going under new management; Dr a bit unsettled now. The PCT took over more than a year ago and so far the environment has been greatly improved, but service is still mainly locum Drs, no continuity, problems with receptionists. We are being patient and waiting to see what will happen in March.” (OPRG 12/03/08)
  • “We are concerned that private companies will be taking over GP practices. They run a health business for profit, that’s what private businesses are about.” (OPRG 12/03/08)
  • Opening hours should be extended. People at the moment need to take annual leave to see a GP which is disgraceful. (OPRG 12/03/08)
  • GPs do not have enough time to see patients. (OPRG 12/03/08)
  • I have a back problem, with my spine. I have asked for a scan or x-ray from 2006. I was told I couldn't get one but sent to physio because of the pain. I just couldn't manage it. Then in 2008 I saw another doctor who refer me to see orthopaedic at the London hospital, I have since had the scan and an x-ray. Imagine waiting for 2 years before having that done. I got an infection on the spine last year in November and I am now waiting to be called again so you can see that the first doctor that refused to send me for the scan, she was no help to me at all. As far as I am concerned that was a very bad experience for me. (THINk Survey)
  • People who have experience in the field of customer services with a proven track record, as well as different people from different back round been given the chance for employment in these areas. These days everyone knows how to use a computer even a child, so this shouldn’t be the primary expectation of the recruiter rather the applicant should be given the chance to demonstrate his ability of experience at the probation period of employment for this is one of the other reason of having probationary period of employment. I also think that somewhere down the line friends are employing friends. (THINk Survey)
  • My new GPs are attentive, informative, sympathetic, courteous and professional, compared to the very many years of humiliation, indignity and stress at the hands of the previous practice which made me iller (THINk Survey)
  • A letter was sent to my home to invite me for a smear test. I had the test and the results came very quickly so I was happy. (THINk Survey)
  • Last week I was in the GP as I am having knee problem. Now they are not checking regularly ... just not sure what they are doing. I want to change my GP. My GP is in brick lane you know... I live in Stepney Green. If I have to take my disabled son, it is a big problem. I tried all three surgeries near my house... at Stepney Green, one told me that they take only male patients and the other two told me that they are only for refugees and asylum seekers. So I keep travelling all the way to the GP surgery. With my daughter it is so difficult. If you change houses then it is difficult to re-register any of these GPs. (UMS)
  • It is not easy [to get an appointment]... sometimes four weeks, sometimes three weeks, sometimes one week... it depends. (UMS)
  • There are a lot of problems you know... for Bangladeshi women... receptionist who answer the problems are very rude. The language is the main issue. How can you treat a patient when you cannot understand what the patient is telling you. I try to build a relationship with my GP you know... many of these problems between patient-doctor come because of communication. Between a doctor and a patient, there needs to be a relationship ... it is not a technical exercise.... you need to communicate to build the relationship... It is about communication ... they do not like people going to the surgery and wasting their time... that also happens with some patients... they go on repeating the same thing. GPs also do get irritated if you talk too much. (UMS)
  • I have heard the interpreting services are not good. But I have heard a number of complaints they often do not convey the concerns of the patients accurately. .. I have never used an interpreter. But the concern is many interpreters do not have medical knowledge themselves or know the different parts of the body ... am not sure how can they communicate what the patient is saying to the doctor accurately. I think there is miscommunication at different levels – between the patient and the interpreter and the interpreter and the GP. Interpreters must be trained about health issues properly. (UMS)

What one thing would improve the quality of GP centres in Tower Hamlets?

  • More time should be given to elderly people as they feel not attended to when service providers speed them up
  • More nurses in surgeries
  • Bring care back into GP services. Older people often feel neglected
  • It would be great to be informed on networking events for health carers to share their ideas
  • Longer hours for phlebotomy services in health clinics/surgeries
  • Better communication and dialogue
  • Get rid of the touch screen appointment machine at XX Place. Do these people not know how germs are spread?
  • Scrap GPs in favour of Polyclinics. Because GPs often just refer you to one anyway, GPs are not professionally run and the waiting times are long.
  • Quality in consultations rather than speed. Often consultations are too short
  • Walk in centres should be supported to give emergency services quicker than the main hospital
  • New patients should have full health check upon registration
  • If the complaints handled by the authority are monitored precisely and regularly. (THINk Survey)
  • Doctors need to listen to patients-clinical care excellence (THINk Survey)
  • Better forums for stakeholders (patients & their families to voice their opinions, give their feedback and express theiranxieties, concerns worries and/or gratitude – freely (THINk Survey)
  1. Hospital Services

Comments of User

  • Barts and the London:

I personally have been and still am being treated very well at Barts under the care of the cancer team and I am still having treatment.

I visited Barts 4 times last year (2008) and was treated well

I was treated with respect. But one thing has to change and that is the shower and toilets at some of the wards at Barts. More nurses are required and I would like to see all the staff come under the ward sister and not contractors

I had a cataract operation in April 2 years ago and my eyelid is still drooped and I cannot even see. I had the operation at the Barts Hospital and now I am under the Moorfields eye this month 2 years

  • The Royal London Hospital:

I was admitted to Royal London in February 2009 with appendicitis. I waited 2 days for an operation; staff (nurses) did not monitor me at all the first day. Toilets and ward was dirty, pills were given in random times and I have never seen nurses walking so SLOWLY when asked for things!

The Non-medical staff at the Royal London are RUDE, UNHELPFUL, ARROGANT and UNCARING

I have been visiting someone in Mary Ward at The London Whitechapel for the last 2 weeks. There are 75 steps from the ground floor and 2 lifts, one has never worked and one is frequently out of order. The lift in the cafe has never worked and it is up 3 flights of steps. The lounge in Mary ward is not often cleaned, and the chairs are old fashioned metal. The TV has never worked; there are no magazines, no books. Although some of the nursing staff are really helpful, others seem to resent being there, I had to ask one to collect a full urinal that had been left at the end of the bed with no lid on; she said they did not have any lids. The patients' shower is leaking. The mirror lights in the patients' toilets are not working, the toilet paper is industrial hard, and there is a broken latch in one that has been reported at least 3 times. There is no facility to borrow wheelchairs. (THINk Survey)

May 2008. I had a very good experience at The Royal London. The staff were very friendly and gave me a lot of confidence before and after the procedure.

Long waiting lists for GU hernia surgery in royal London hosp-I am waiting now 8 months after my Jan admin was cancelled 1 week beforehand-what happened to 18 week wait?? (THINk Survey)

  • London Chest Hospital:

Universally the staff at the London Chest Hospital are helpful and patients & visitors are cared for well

  • Children with disabilities have difficulty in accessing full services
  • My mother went to get checked out – tube down her, was made unconscious, when she woke up and in recovery they gave her tea and biscuits 
  • Hospitals scare me. They look unhygienic and old.
  • I visited the hospital 8 months ago. I felt neglected due to age and race. They should treat illness irrespective of the above.
  • There is a lack of privacy
  • Lack of Muslim and Bangladeshi nurses
  • 12 months ago. Staff are slow to meeting requests of patient
  • 12 months ago. Food was poor
  • Got a wonderful care at the Children’s A&E. Thanks!
  • It is fun in the hospital. Aysha Islam, 8 years old
  • When I left hospital, Occupational services visited and were very helpful. But on contacting them I was informed I was 'no longer their responsibility'. As I had been referred to them via the London hospital on discharge about 12 months ago. As a disabled 74 year old I was a bit taken aback by Occupational Health on being told 'you are not NOW our responsibility' (THINk Survey)
  • Waiting for hospital transport is awful (THINk Survey)
  • Never see the same one twice. Appointments are never to time. Uncomfortable waiting area for disabled clients such as me.
  • The nursing staff on wards were rude and unkind (THINk Survey)
  • I have been to walking centres... have been to casualty ... both places have problems. In the walking centre I have waited for two to three hours before speaking to the nurse. I stayed one day in the casualty department once... she would not listen... just told me, I have nothing... it is all ok... we have to wait... (UMS)
  • I have been admitted to the hospital and so is my son... you know... the environment is not ok, particularly cleanliness...doctors are ok... other things like the nurses, other support staff are rude... do not respond quickly... cleanliness is an issue and there are lot of things... not that bad really ... food is an issue, (UMS)

What one thing would improve the quality of Hospital Services in Tower Hamlets?