No description has been entered for this service.
Claim this service
Complete the form below to make a service management claim and one of our team will be in touch
Already claimed a service? Click here to login.
Manage Ballards Walk Surgery?
7 reviews from the local community
Read Feedback#44 of 227 GPs services in Essex
Ballards Walk Surgery Feedback
Confidentiality and prescription failure
Not my normal doctors. Saturday appointment after flu symptoms for weeks. Sent to Ballards Walk “surgery”.
Arrived 10 minutes before (appointment at 15:45). Several people came after me and left. Spoke to receptionist, asked if delay after 15 mins. Said I was booked in and to wait. Went after 25 minutes. Asked for my name and date of birth. Receptionist told me I’d been marked as seen. Took my details into the nurse. Finally got seen, nurse said they’d treated a patient who had answered to my first name, but they had children with them, so maybe they’d misheard the name.
Not acceptable for two reasons. Firstly, the patient seen in my name was prescribed medication in my name too.
Medication for said patient was sent electronically to the pharmacy under my name and not rescinded. Therefore the medication I took away wasn’t for me, but the pharmacy handed it over. They couldn’t have known. It had my name, address, etc. No fault of the pharmacy here at all. No one knew to look for two separate prescriptions in my name, not even me. The pharmacy likely hadn’t refreshed the electronic prescriptions in the minute it took me to walk there. Likely my actual prescription wouldn’t have been showing at that point. The incorrect one having been sent almost an hour before would have been.
As it happens, the antibiotics prescribed to the person incorrectly seen as me were actually the ones I was eventually prescribed (not the point), however one of the medications dispensed wasn’t prescribed to me, yet I had access to it.
The issue here also is what could have happened.
My lovely, wonderfully complacent husband has a penicillin allergy.
The person who was seen incorrectly under my name would have also been asked if they had any allergies/reactions and that “wrong” medication would have been prescribed based on their response.
So, put my husband in same scenario. The person seen incorrectly as him was asked about allergies/adverse reactions and said NO. Medicine prescribed in their name in error. Husband says YES, and then picks up the first, incorrect prescription. Antibiotic prescribed to incorrectly seen patient turns out to be penicillin.
Now, the second incorrect medication I picked up is actually one my husband uses regularly. If it was him in my place, same scenario, he genuinely would not have known that the prescription he picked up wasn’t his, nor would he have really listened to the name of the antibiotic he was prescribed. I love him dearly, but it’s fact. Worst case – pharmacy doesn’t routinely flag the drug as penicillin, or asks a generic “is this the first time you’ve had THESE antibiotics”. Complacent husband says he’s had antibiotics before, and also assumes because he’s told the nurse he had a penicillin allergy it’s fine. Complacent husband does not pay real attention to box or leaflet and pops those tablets like sweeties. This scenario ends in anaphylactic shock.
No one should ever potentially be put in that situation, no matter how complacent you are, by someone responsible for your care.
Secondly, the person who had been seen under my name had their private consultation notes put against my NHS number. For those not aware, some can now see the notes the doctor has put, through your NHS app. Their notes were there for me to read then and there in my app had I chosen to. Even though no names are given, this was a huge breach of that patient’s confidentiality, even if it’s now been removed. I didn’t read it, I saw the date and came out of the app, but I made sure the nurse verbally confirmed they had removed it. Nurse in question could have also sat there going through all my medical history with a stranger for all I know, but it’s okay, because they had kids with them…
It should be standard practice for a full name and date of birth to be reconfirmed when you see a patient, even if you ‘know’ them and they’re your ‘regular’ patient. Complaint sent to local ICB. If I get offered an emergency appointment again at Ballard Walk Surgery, I think I’ll take my chances on suffering rather than ever having to attend there again.
Manage Ballards Walk Surgery?
Very good
Excellent surgery! Nothing is too much trouble and it’s so easy to get an appointment too.
Manage Ballards Walk Surgery?
Working so hard amidst difficult times
Those complaining about difficulties getting through on the phone system need to take a step back a realise it’s not a service ‘on demand’. Staff work really hard and are dealing with hundreds of patients every day, amidst a PANDEMIC. We’re lucky to have such a lovely surgery!
Manage Ballards Walk Surgery?
Really bad service
There is always a problem with my repeat prescription so each time I have to phone the surgery or go there to get it sorted. The prescription in not ready on time so I’m being left with no medication for days.
The receptionist *** has been very unhelpful on 3 separate occasions, giving me a bad attitude. If she doesn’t like her job maybe she should consider changing it… She is the only one that constantly has a problem and the other ladies are very good.
Manage Ballards Walk Surgery?
Very rude staff
Staff are awful
The receptionist is very bad
Manage Ballards Walk Surgery?
very poor
very poor service, cannot get an appointment over the phone it just rings and rings, the receptionist is the most obtuse person i have ever encountered.
If you look through the surgery web page, you will think this practise is one of the best, well let me tell you its not, look at all the negative reviews of this surgery.
Why ever would you see your GP when you cant make an appointment, and the receptionist wants to play God, you are encouraged to see your GP but this particular surgery does nothing at all, we are wasting our time to try and use these services, its very very poor
Manage Ballards Walk Surgery?
cant get to book a doctor apt
new system of booking a appt to see dr is awful. have to start calling at 8 am only to speak to a receptionist who asks whats wrong then decides if a dr will call you back. this can be at any time after 10 am so yu have to be free all day to take call ,not suitable for patients who have to work mon to friday 8.30-6pm .so far i have not been able to make a appt . was tld to book online but that now is still only for a phone call . awful. easier booking system for patients who work 8am -6 pm .im not allowed to have private calls at work nor do i wish to speak to a doctor in front of my co workers ! so ive been unable to make a appt to see dr since april this year . not at all acceptable service . Staff to have a kinder and more understanding approach to patients and not be so cold when dealing with them
Manage Ballards Walk Surgery?