"Repeatedly poor experience – patients deserve…"

Over the past year, I’ve had several appointments at Chrisp Street Health Centre and unfortunately, each visit or phone consultation has been marked by the same issues.

Unfortunately, my experience with Chrisp Street Health Centre has been consistently frustrating. Many of the staff come across as rude, unhelpful, and at times indifferent to patient concerns. There is a recurring sense that the system is designed to deflect rather than support, with GPs often engaging in unnecessary phone calls that seem aimed more at avoiding referrals than genuinely helping patients.

During one recent experience, I was called by a GP just to be told that they would not refer me to a specialist, despite my clear symptoms and concerns. The call felt more like an obstacle than a step toward care. On other occasions, I’ve seen GPs handling tasks like booking follow-ups or delivering basic admin messages — things that could easily be done by support staff or automated systems. It’s disappointing to see highly trained professionals wasting time on tasks unrelated to actual patient care.

It’s disheartening to see highly trained doctors spending valuable time on administrative tasks that could easily be handled by technology or proper support staff. Rather than using their expertise to diagnose and treat, they appear to spend energy finding reasons not to act. As a patient, this makes the process feel adversarial rather than caring.

I often walk away from interactions feeling that efficiency, empathy, and professionalism are lacking. While I understand the NHS is under pressure, this does not excuse the attitude or poor communication I’ve encountered here.

I genuinely look forward to a time when AI tools can help patients bypass these unnecessary hurdles and ensure timely access to the care they need — without needing to engage with dismissive or obstructive staff. Hopefully, as technology evolves, patients will have better options. And perhaps, those currently working in such roles will come to reflect on the opportunities they had to build trust and do better.