"8.5 hours waiting time care is not Urgent Care"

The waiting times in this department and perfunctory service in it are sub-NHS standard.

Our GP practice routinely refers patients to be seen there within the day if they do not have enough urgent slots within the day or if patients call after about 9am, when all their slots will have gone.

I have told them that this department of King's is no longer providing a decent service, due to the incredibly long waiting times it now has.

It is likely these delays are occurring because so many GP practices are now referring to Urgent Care cases they use to see themselves.

But it should not be patients whose care suffers.

On two occasions I have been sent here, have seen the queues and the "average waiting times to be seen are now 8.5 hours" signs or equivalent and have simply had to walk away because I have too many other demands on my time and can't wait in a crowded room all day.

On the last occasion I was seen in this department I was given the wrong diagnosis for my symptoms. This only became clear two weeks later when both courses of antibiotics I had been prescribed did not alleviate the symptoms.

When I called my GP practice to ask to see a GP because the treatment was not working, the receptionist said I could not see a GP because "if the hospital told you this, then it must be right"

I could not recommend this department to anyone.