Miri K.
1/5
I've been a patient here for 6 years, so you can trust that my opinion is informed. I will be changing GPs because I can no longer stand the mismanagement and gatekeeping of this practice, which I've had to mitigate for years.
Long story short: this is a fantastic practice if you don't need anything, ever. If you need any real help, you will immediately discover impenetrable layers of inadequate care, disinterest and gaslighting.
Recently I had a lot of complaints which were mostly addressed by phone, despite my best efforts to actually come in and SEE a doctor.
Finally this week I arrived there - 3 days in a row! - unannounced, in pain, literally crying, and in complete contrast with anything I've done before in my life.
When I finally got a referral for a hospital visit, I called up the department only to discover that it wasn't an emergency referral.
Empathetically, after hearing my plea and symptoms, the hospital department worker told me to go back to my GP and *demand* an emergency referral so they could book me ASAP. They also said that if I couldn't get through to my GP, could go to the emergency huisartsenpost after-hours and get an emergency referral from them.
I MUST EMPHASIZE THIS POINT: The hospital department worker said this over the phone.
However, Huisarts Kronenburg refuses to amend the referral, claiming this is not an emergency, even after I explained that this was told to me by the hospital. This isn't some misplaced request, either: they had seen me crying in pain in all of the previous days.
Alarmingly, this whole time, for serveral weeks now, the GPs and assistants at Huisarts Kronenburg have been telling me that the hospital or huisartsenpost WILL DEFINITELY REFUSE to see me, will probably send me away, blah blah blah.
Imagine my frustration and absolute exhaustion discovering that the hospital is more accommodating and sensitive to my complaints than my own GP!
After 6 years--I'M DONE.
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Here are some more takeaways for you to consider:
1. They are not proactive in getting to the bottom of issues. As a patient, you have to do your own research constantly, and be your own case worker, telling them what you need tested and which specialists to engage. If you have a mysterious complaint, you're on your own.
2. They respond poorly to signs of vulnerability, anxiety or exhaustion, and they use this fragility to dismiss you as hysterical. I've learned to be very easygoing and blasé in my communication around serious medical inquiries in order to be taken seriously, knowing that any sign of distress will be received with suspicion and disregard. This doesn't make sense in a medical environment, where people frequently express distress and discomfort.
3. They never seem to reserve any walk-in or emergency hours, so you're left with long waiting times.
4. Almost impossible to reach by phone in the afternoon. The clinic is open til 17:00 but they stop answering the phone at around 15:00, even though there are 3 assistants at the front desk.
5. These doctors are young and frequently change, which makes the clinic feel like a training facility for doctors in a transitional moment in their careers. I became accustomed to seeing different doctors every single time I needed one. This caused inconsistent care, inconsistent standards and missed communication. Only Dr de Leve was a regular and I must commend him for his emphatic care.
6. Assistants are always gatekeeping, postponing, pushing appointments back, leaving you without a solution.
7. They seem more concerned with their own reputation among specialists, making a conscious effort not to refer you to one, instead of actually giving proper care. Many times I was told that the specialist might be "angry" or "laugh at" the doctor if they were to refer me to one. Way to feel seen...
Honestly I'm surprised that I lasted this long, and I deeply regret it having reached this point.
