The Willesden Medical Centre - Registering new patients Reviews Summary

Appointment Scheduling

Pros:

• "I was seen by a GP and a nurse at the surgery yesterday after booking the appointment the day before."
• "Feel grateful to the new approach and flexibility of appointment systems."
• "My son’s case was immediately referred to an urgent care team and we received a phone call within 2 hours with care instructions."
• "All appointments were fully booked but the kindness of receptionist Shelia and nurse Fatima they managed to squeeze me in!!"
• "Since signing up Patient Access, making appointments has really become so easy."
• "Dr S Mezher help me to solve my problem over the phone and give me instruction and prescription I needed."
• "My Dr.Sermed was actually very helpful and patience while examination and explanation the causes and remedy."

Cons:

• "After spending 58 min waiting to speak with a receptionist to make an appointment she informed me that was not allowed."
• "I've now been waiting for 2 months for a specialist call back after being told I was referred already."
• "It had taken me 3 days to actually get through to the practice to get his appointment but that's another story."
• "Very disappointed with the service recently, I had an asthma review scheduled for 02/01 after having to call in twice to even speak to a GP about getting an inhaler."
• "You're unable to contact the surgery by phone let alone book an appointment to see a health care professional."
• "You can't book in appointments even a day in advance - you have to call at 8:30am, when everyone else is calling."
• "What is the point in booking appointments if you can't book them in advance?"
• "They discharged me because I changed address less then 3 miles in a middle of stop smoking treatment."
• "Doctor told me to do some exams and to book an appointment afterwards so he could check the results... I tried to book online as suggested by the receptionist just to be told by the system that there were no dates available."

Staff Interaction and Professionalism

Pros:

• "The receptionist Sheila was Welcoming, Charming and extremely helpful and patient and after a short time resolved my query to my complete satisfaction."
• "I would like to express my gratitude to receptionist called Sheila for being such a kind, warm and bubbly person and also very helpful."
• "Very thankful with doctors, receptionists and all the staff at the medical center. Especially Dr. Alfredo Rodriguez and Jaqui from reception."
• "SHEILA from willesden medical centre is Brilliant, she explained everything well."
• "I am very happy with this GP. They are very helpful and professional."
• "Been with the practice for over 30 years, and yes whilst there has been changes, they’ve always been helpful."
• "Doctors and staffs are very nice."
• "Everyone is always polite and helpful."

Cons:

• "When I arrived in reception at 2.30... I sat in an empty room for 20 minutes... at no point did anyone apologize or offer up an explanation for all this waiting around."
• "Disorganized, no information on where to check in and which floor to wait to see Dr’s."
• "Several of my online econsults have gone unanswered which has lead to further declines in my health and the deaf ears my complaints fall on have negatively impacted my mental health."
• "It transpired that the receptionist booked me in 14 minutes after my arrival."
• "Worst general practice I went to in my life."
• "Reception staff generally appear very grumpy and not customer facing."
• "Receptionists are absolutely incompetent and have no sense of customer service."
• "The customer service received then (years ago when Dr Peter was a Partner before retirement) was a lot better than now."

Medical Care Quality

Pros:

• "I was examined thoroughly, given a blood test and ECG... This was an excellent experience."
• "After not seeing a Doctor in person for a long time at the Surgery, it was one of my best experiences seeing my GP."
• "Yesterday morning, I had one of my best experiences ever at the surgery with a lovely Health care worker - Ms. Hue."
• "You can really tell they are for their patients and not just there for a paycheck."
• "The doctors at this surgery are very good and they care about their patients."
• "Quality of care has always been good from this surgery, they do follow ups and have various health checks."

Cons:

• "Been misdiagnosed twice which resulted in an emergency surgery."
• "I went to the surgery feeling unwell and left feeling worse after the treatment I received from a GP."
• "I received very poor treatment, lack of understanding and respect by Dr. X, would not recommend."
• "I had to ask for a blood test, which should have been offered given the symptoms I described."
• "The last time I was there, I waited an hour past my appointment time only to be seen for less than 5 minutes."
• "Prescriptions are often filled out incorrectly, which then takes days to correct, causing a great deal of inconvenience and distress."

Facilities and Accessibility

Pros:

• "The new building is bright, clean, and has easy access for the disabled."
• "Very clean and tidy environment."
• "Waiting times are short and facilities are very clean."
• "Access is easy for people with mobility issues."

Cons:

• "The waiting room was crowded and I had to stand as there were no seats available."
• "Signage in the practice is poor, it's hard to find your way around."
• "The toilets were out of order during my visit which was not ideal."
• "Access to the building is not easy for those who have disabilities or are wheelchair users."

COVID-19 Response

Pros:

• "During COVID, they organized a quick and safe vaccination process."
• "I felt safe with their COVID-19 measures in place, it was very reassuring."
• "Good management during COVID times, felt safe."
• "The COVID-19 vaccine service was well managed and the staff were very professional."

Cons:

• "I have been trying to get a COVID booster for weeks now, the lack of availability is frustrating."
• "I was refused entry for not wearing a mask due to a medical exemption, this was embarrassing and distressing."
• "They are still using COVID as an excuse for reduced service levels."
• "The telephone appointment system implemented for COVID is still in place making it difficult to see a GP when needed."