Forum Topic

Best GP's practice in Ealing?

Which is the best medical practice in Ealing? How accurate are 'word of mouth' recommendations about a good surgery? Are there any GPs'  practices with parking space for patients?What are the plus points about a good family medical practice? Are there any good private GP practices? What does a reasonable medical doctor charge for a private consultation?

Gerry Tan ● 4715d31 Comments

I've been a patient at Ealing Park for a good ten years too and am very happy with it. The receptionists are the weak point, admittedly, and I've told the practice manager so before now.

Susan Kelly ● 4668d

I have been a patient at  Ealing Park for over 15 years.  The receptionists and Doctors were superb when my daughter in law was ill.  One Doctor in particular was Great. Fortunately my daughter in law is now fit and healthy.

Lisa Barbaric ● 4668d

What are the features which are good and/or bad about a GPs practice?

Gerry Tan ● 4668d

It's mostly down to moral, in my experience, Gerry. Before moving to Ealing Park, I was registered with a practice in Acton and it was hard to tell who was more demoralised -- the doctors or the patients. Very high turnover of doctors there, which is a sure sign as they lose hope and head for another practice.Ealing Park is a pleasant, modern, purpose-built building, with a comfortable waiting room complete with children's play area. Plenty of parking close by and the cemetery next door for any mistakes (ha ha). The doctors are all women except for one and mostly young. Several of them work part time which helps keep them fresh.

Susan Kelly ● 4668d

We're certainly talking about the same place. I remember Dr Pietroni, who was my first doctor there when I joined and who, as you say, retired a long time ago.I can only repeat that I am very happy with the treatment I get there. Drs Pigott, Islam and Wickrama have all there for a long time.As for queueing behind the line for a receptionist. That's to give the people at the desk a bit of privacy. No one wants the whole waiting room to hear about their piles.If you don't like it there, Maria, then by all means move to another practice, but that doesn't mean you have to trash a place which has many satisfied patients.

Susan Kelly ● 4666d

Please don't address me in that patronising way, Maria. I am happy to accept that you don't like Ealing Park Health Centre, but you are unwilling to allow that anyone feels differently.And you have no idea how old I am.

Susan Kelly ● 4666d

Thanks for your opinions. Just as I thought, each general practice has its detracters and champions. Recently, the Care Quality Commission found 34% of general practices failing - some had consulting rooms without doors, vaccines improperly stored, medical records left lying around and a couple had maggots on their premises. Its difficult to know which GP surgeries are good and which ones should be avoided.

Gerry Tan ● 4664d

I thought the one where each of the two doctors had reported the other to the GMC for incompetence was interesting!

Philippa Bond ● 4664d

Indeed Philippa and to think we pay these doctors the best part of £100k a year to be our GPs.

Gerry Tan ● 4664d

I was reliably informed that 17 patients last week alone had transferred from Ealing Park Health Centre to the practice that I belong to in Ealing?

Peter Mcleod ● 4558d

I was reliably informed that 17 patients last week alone had transferred from Ealing Park Health Centre to the practice that I belong to in Ealing?

Peter Mcleod ● 4558d

I don't know Peter but when I drove past yesterday afternoon at around 14:30 the gates were locked shut Do they have (very) restricted opening hours on Thursdays?

Nigel Brooks ● 4558d

Gawd, I've only just joined this one so don't want them to turf me out before we've properly got to know each other.....but my wife and I recently moved to The Avenue Surgery and were amazed at how tatty it was. It appears to have been redecorated in the 70's and not been touched since. No reflection on the staff, but it just seems a really, really dismal place to be. Fingers crossed the book is better than its cover.

Philip Slater ● 4558d

I think they still do half day closing on Thursdays which was half day closing for Saturday opening day in South Ealing. However, I have never seen the Ealing Park Health Centre open on Saturdays.

Peter Mcleod ● 4558d

Thanks Peter, obviously they don't expect people to be ill on Thursday afternoons!

Nigel Brooks ● 4558d

There are two ways  to find out people's views about GP practices. One is to look at the NHS GP survey, which allows you to compare up to five local practices; the other is compare the practices' websites on NHS Choices. The NHS GP survey is a random survey, meaning people are selected at random and invited to give their views, so it's more reliable. On the NHS Choices pages the people who write reviews are self-selected, so they tend to be dominated by those with an axe to grind or ardent fans. The central Ealing practices come quite similarly on the GP survey, though some are worse at answering the phone than others. Most people would recommend the practice they're with to someone moving to the area.  On the NHS Choices pages, the majority of complaints are about admin and reception staff rather than the GPs. So I guess we're all in pretty safe hands, we just get frustrated about appointments! You can join the Patient Participation Group at your practice (if they've got one - they're supposed to) if you want to help make a difference.

Christine Gratus ● 4556d

I have discovered that early closing day in South Ealing was wednesday afternoon - the Post Office still does it! Therefore, I retract that theory about the Ealing Park Surgery doing half day closing on Thursday, I can think of no rational reason of why it shuts on a Thursday afternoon, unless of course all the doctors go down the golf course then!

Peter Mcleod ● 4549d

Thursday is indeed the health centre's early closing day. I guess they needed to pick one and saw no reason why it had to be South Ealing's early closing day from decades ago.

Susan Kelly ● 4549d

Susan, the early closing day was part of legislation. One would be assigned to Ealing, All the shops that opened on Saturdays would stick to it. It has nothing to do with choice. I think that this Thursday closing is all to do with opportunism - to do as little work as possible to get as much money - something that is exemplified by our "bankers" and clearly something that has come into public service and so-called "care". You will note that the Pharmacist opposite does not open Saturdays.

Peter Mcleod ● 4549d

I think the one opposite is called "Daru Pharmacy" and never seems to have anything in stock that I need. I gave up on it and moved to the newly-opened Harbs just up the road on the side of the Ealing Park (ill-)Health Centre which is good.

Peter Mcleod ● 4549d

P.S. I understand that the exodus continues from the Ealing Park Health Centre to neighbouring practices due to fears about care in the event of a emergency, the fact that Ealing Park Health Centre has stopped doing automatic prescription requests with local pharmacies.... The fact that in the event of an emergency the reception desk will no longer make an emergency appointment on the stop, you have to go home (dying?) and ring so that a doctor can call you back.This place has imploed!

Peter Mcleod ● 4549d

'This place' works just fine and my GP asked if I wanted an automatic prescription request when I saw her last month. Do you just make all this stuff up? If they have to close one afternoon a week, what possible difference does it make which afternoon it is?

Susan Kelly ● 4548d

I have been a patient at the surgery in the Avenue for over 30 years. Yes it is old fashioned and very traditional but the care is fine and one never feels hurried when talking with a doctor.

Keith Mason ● 4534d

Thank you Keith. Is car parking easy for patients at The Avenue Surgery, or is it a problem please?

Gerry Tan ● 4534d

No I do not make things up. I am not referring to an automatic prescription request (every month or two months) I was referring to the prescription collection service whereby the pharmacy automatically collects the prescription from the surgery, fulfills it, and delivers it to the patient - an important function for people with limited mobility like the hundred or so living in sheltered accommodation in Lindsay House net to this particular surgery. THIS SERVICE HAS BEEN WITHDRAWN HOWEVER OTHER PRACTICES OFFER IT which is one of the reasons why so many people are leaving the Ealing Park Health Centre. Please at least read my posts before launching off the "my  view of the world is the only correct one" platform!

Peter Mcleod ● 4533d

Again, please come down to planet Earth Susan, the Ealing Health Centre DOES NOT HAVE TO CLOSE FOR AN AFTERNOON AT ALL. It just does so because it does not offer as full a service package as other surgeries. If you read the newspapers or listen to the TV/Radio you will find that the Gorvenment is planning to try and get surgeries to offer seven days a week.Ealing Park Health Centre fails on so many counts in comparison to surrounding practices it is almost bizarre.

Peter Mcleod ● 4533d

P.S. If you do not believe me try asking the pharmacists at Harb Pharmacy, or if you do not believe them, one of the two branches of Boots in the Ealing Broadway Shopping Centre. They will tell you whether Ealing Park offers this anymore.

Peter Mcleod ● 4533d

parking is OK except from 9 -10 and I think for an hour late afternoon. These days  I take the bus to west ealing and then walk. good for my health.

Keith Mason ● 4532d

Thanks Keith, is there a bus that goes from Uxbridge Rooad up along Argyll Road to the surgery and how many GPs are at Argyll practice please?

Gerry Tan ● 4532d

Anyone who thinks the staff at Ealing Park are slacking might be interested to know that the Practise Manager rang my husband this morning about a repeat prescription. Yes, on a Sunday.

Susan Kelly ● 4515d

Now, that's what I call good service and practise and a good practice - good for Ealing Park Practice.

Gerry Tan ● 4515d

Yes, I meant Practice Manager, not Practise Manager. I shall go and shoot myself.

Susan Kelly ● 4515d