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We welcome views about the quality of health care
• IN the 61 years since the National Health Service was created it has provided free at the point of access, universal health care.
The local GP has been a central part of delivering that service for over six decades.
In Camden, local people make almost one million visits to their GP each year.
Because GP services play such a critical role in the community, NHS Camden always takes very seriously what local people have to say about our GP services.
I therefore share every Camden resident’s high expectations for local GP services.
We continually monitor the performance at all our practices to ensure those expectations are met, if not exceeded.
It is important we are told about the quality of your experience.
We welcome hearing about any concerns local people may have about the quality of the care they have received, and I make a commitment that all such concerns will be thoroughly investigated.
JOHN CARRIER
Chair, NHS Camden
Feedback about surgeries is taken seriously
• I WRITE in response to the open letter to John Carrier about the Camden Road and Brunswick surgeries (Are you checking practices are up to standard? March 19).
I want to reassure patients that feedback about the care and services provided at all of our surgeries is taken extremely seriously, and we proactively seek the views of our patients.
We have established patient participation groups at both surgeries – the first time this has been done – which are now held regularly in both surgeries and are designed specifically to give patients a chance to raise issues and allow us to find ways to meet their needs better.
We investigate all genuine patient complaints in full as a matter of course and members of our practice teams are always available on site to discuss any specific issues relating to the services we provide.
PAT BATCHELOR
Group Practice Manager, UnitedHealth Primary Care
Greycoat Place, SW1
Patients go
• I FIND it totally incomprehensible that Camden Primary Care Trust should have “laid down the red carpet” for the American upstart UnitedHealth that has taken over Camden Road Surgery.
Camden Road Surgery has existed for close on 100 years, with great benefit to the surrounding community. Since the primary care trust abruptly, and without adequate local consultation, chose to invite in this previously unknown for-profit set of American interlopers, ostensibly to take the place of a long-standing, well-run and very popular (not-for-profit) NHS surgery, those attending this surgery have been extremely upset.
Those able to find another surgery to attend have already done so, but many patients now only attend Camden Road Surgery for repeat prescriptions.
There could even be deaths of patients who so strongly dislike the new regime at Camden Road Surgery, but physically cannot move to another surgery because of the distance involved, they simply stop attending.
Many existing patients were dubious about the standard of care which would be available at Camden Road Surgery when it was first taken over by UnitedHealth, and a well-supported campaign was organised against the newcomers.
A number of these patients have since moved to other surgeries and the situation has gone from bad to worse.
Most of the doctors currently at Camden Road Surgery are locums who do not stay very long; and many patients are simply giving up, only attending the surgery to order or collect repeat prescriptions.
Many other patients are casting about to try to find another NHS surgery, not too far away from where they live, which is able to take them on.
Recently, when I collected a prescription I found it was incorrect – fortunately only incorrect in the number of tablets prescribed (which was amended when I pointed out the error) but this is an indication of the attitude of the new regime.
This is a situation which cannot continue.
NAME AND ADDRESS SUPPLIED
Treated well
• REGARDING the Camden Keep our National Health Service Public campaign and UnitedHealth debate,
I have been a fairly healthy patient at the Brunswick Medical Centre for over 20 years so didn’t bother them much, but a recent problem has seen me a regular there.
I have received a prompt and caring service from the medical staff and at UCH.
They followed up my tests, spent time explaining to me the results and generally calming the odd nerve. If one is treated properly one should say so.
JOHNNY DENNIS
Thanet Street, WC1
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