The Whitehorse Practice

Written by a patient

My experience with Dr. Nwufoh is the primary reason I barely visit this surgery any more. The secondary reason being that it is extremely difficult to get an appointment. I had a missed miscarriage last year and called Dr. Nwufoh in a state of desperation as I had been told by the hospital that I would have to wait 7 days for the operation to remove my baby who I had just learned was dead. I was asking her for some help to get my operation brought forward but I wish I hadn't bothered. She was incredibly cold and showed no empathy at all, remarking that 'what did I expect? This is the NHS' I was left in floods of tears and after many phone calls to the hospital, I managed to speak to a Consultant who immediately agreed to bring my surgery forward. I was provided no aftercare by Dr. Nwufoh at all and was treated in the most cold-hearted way at a time that I was at my most vulnerable. This woman should not be a GP as she displays a complete lack of care and consideration for patients.

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Written by a patient

This is difficult to write because I have championed this practice for the past six years while under the wonderful care of Dr. Nina Arjun, who has now retired. Since then, the revolving door of practitioners, the long waits, the confusion and mix-ups over appointments, and the general quality of care at Whitehorse has gone down. The last straw for me was a visit with Dr. Joy Nwufoh, who spoke to me as if I were a child; patronising, condescending, and unwilling to even listen. What's problematic here is that I am educated, well spoken, and polite. The reason *why* this is problematic is that, in this catchment area, the majority of patients are unlikely to approach the doctor with, at the very least, an education that matches theirs (even if it is not medical in background). This can lead to issues where a patient is forced to defer to the opinion of a doctor who doesn't listen to them and makes them feel silly for even asking questions and requesting clarification - on the grounds that she is smart, sophisticated, and educated...and they simply are not. If she can do it to me, she can do it to anybody. I believe the supercilious attitude that Dr. Joy Nwufoh applies evenhandedly amongst patients who have no choice (in a crowded GP clinic) but to see her goes beyond a lack of bedside manner. It can be dangerous. With an unwillingness to listen and a penchant for insisting she is right, it is just a matter of time before an incorrect diagnosis, incorrect treatment, or clinical negligence arises that may result in patient injury.

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