Birchington Medical Centre

Birchington Medical Centre 2015-04-02 Person 3 5 0

I would like the practice to be more involved in preventative medicine. By that I mean more thorough testing to establish a patient's risk to many of the more common ailments which, if discovered early enough, can be treated more effectively or even cured. Some fairly simple ailments become chronic and costly when discovered too late. I appreciate the argument that comprehensive tests ( blood) for example are expensive but it can actually work out cheaper in the long run if it can avoid/reduce certain ailments becoming chronic or compounded. Certainly, if it is not possible for every patient, I strongly feel that it should be available for those patients who request it and are actively trying to look after themselves.

Birchington Medical Centre 2015-04-02 Person 3 5 0

I really feel that when tests are done it should fall to the surgery to notify those people who require a follow up and not vice versa. One of the biggest problems with BMC is getting thru to the surgery by phone. Many of the calls taken are from patients wanting to know the result of tests. The only people who know when results are available are the surgery yet everyone is told the same thing, 'your results should be known in X days, call back then'. This means that patients call before the results are received, call to get an all clear and call prior to 14.00 when the surgery has asked them not to. Surely, if patients were advised that they can assume that everything is clear unless the surgery contacts them for follow up procedures then an enormous amount of time and effort would be saved on both sides. Your current system ties up the phone and staff that, for a great amount, is unnecessary.

Birchington Medical Centre 2015-03-10 Person 2 5 0

If you book on the day you have to call constantly from 8am. If you book on line for a future appointment it is hard to get appointments within a week. When you do get appointment they are always running late. Care is good once you get in to see a doctor.

Birchington Medical Centre 2015-02-18 Person 4 5 0

The phone is a problem, one can hang on for ages

Birchington Medical Centre 2015-01-06 Person 5 5 0

I had a good consultation with Dr Martin.