Forum Topic

Chiswick Medical Practice

Did anyone go to the new Chiswick Medical Practice patient meeting last Wednesday, Feb 21st, at Chiswick Methodist Church?  If so, is there anything interesting to report?  I am registered at Wellesley Road surgery and had an appointment booked there for next week. Early on Friday I got a phone call from Grove Park surgery cancelling the appointment and re-scheduling it for 10am that morning at Wellesley Road.  When I got there, they didn't know anything about it.  Is this how it's going to be from now on?

Elizabeth Bennett ● 81d8 Comments

Very fair and accurate report.

Stella Ellis ● 79d

Article with more information about meeting on the Chiswick Calendar https://chiswickcalendar.co.uk/packed-angry-meeting-hears-details-of-chiswick-gp-surgeries-merger/

Bernard Allen ● 79d

I should have added that I have been with Wellesley Road practice for over 15 years too and have mostly had excellent treatment from their GPs. The problem now of course - for all of us - is getting an appointment to see any of them.

Elizabeth Bennett ● 80d

I'm surprised at the negative comments about Wellesley Road. I was registered there for 15+ years and always received exemplary care (apart from one locum, who was incidentally the only male GP I ever saw there).

Mike Firth ● 81d

There was a “soft merger” of the three practices a year or so ago and yes this was to avoid a bigger possibly distant medical group offering to run Wellesley Road on the sole partner’s retirement.  But not privatisation. None  of the salaried GPs there offered to become partners so they could qualify to take over the medical  services contract. The partners of the other two practices thought it better that they run Wellesley road as partners running all three practices. And this has now been formalised. Most practices in England and Wales are run as business partnerships which are normal profit centres from an accountancy point if view but take on the medical services contracts  offered by the NHS and employ staff on the NHS’s behalf. So it’s a bit blurry when people talk about private or NHS.

Liz Hagerty ● 81d

It's very hard for an organisation to build the fight to save it when it has ignored complaints about it's service for years.  I moved to W4 from Brentford in 2000 and when looking for a GP I was told b my previous practice "there are some very good GP practices in W4 but avoid Wellesley Rd.  This was difficult as they are around the corner from me but I spoke to neighbours and they were all patients there with very differing needs and said do not join this practice.  I didn't most of them have remained with WR.  I have over the last 24 years heard the most horrendous stories from my neighbours about their treatment or lack of it and I have been in meetings for the CCG as a voluntary sector leader where the management of the practice were chaotic even though their main practice leader was the main medical leader of the CCG. Considering a joining of practices I would say do it but be aware of which practice will have control of the day to day running and admin matters.  Also make sure you have direct patient input into the training of medical staff in new methods of treatment.  Do not vote for it to go to the company bidding or it will get very much worse as their history is to dump "difficult" patients or as I would say the patients who need the most care.  Do your research on all being proposed and if you really worry about it all change preactice.  It is your health and your families loyalty is a wonderful quality but not if it makes you ill. Good luck to all the staff and patients involved it's a worrying time for health in the UK and we need to come forward and fight for our needs

Caroline Carney ● 81d

Yes I was there. It was chaotic. I do not want to make a comment about it on here.

Stella Ellis ● 81d

The meeting was packed out and I think the people who organised the meeting weren’t expecting such a large number to attend.My own opinion only, I think a large percentage of attendees came from the Wellesley Road Surgery, judging by  the complaints about the bad service they had received from this practice. For a while the meeting descended into a free for all, as this meeting wasn’t anything about that, but to inform patients why the three practices were merging, which is, I believe to save the Wellesley Road Practice from being purchased by a private company  and remove it from the NHS. Plus to inform all who attended  how the setup would be run.  But as the meeting became very loud and vocal about complaints, I decided to leave. I still have no Idea of how it’s going to run, I just hope the organisers manage to get the meeting back on track ?

Bernard Allen ● 81d