GP's in Kilkenny City

Gael23

Im moving to Kilkenny City in the next few weeks and I'm having trouble getting a practice that will take me on so looking for recommendations. Would have a preference for a male doctor.

Captain Havoc

I just use Ayrfield.

Gael23

Captain Havoc wrote: »

I just use Ayrfield.

I did come across there but my experience of large practices like that is it's impossible to get an appointment even though there's 7 doctors there.

Captain Havoc

Gael23 wrote: »

I did come across there but my experience of large practices like that is it's impossible to get an appointment even though there's 7 doctors there.

They will see people urgently in the morning, other than that, yeah, it can be up to a week. Generally though when you have an appointment, you will get seen about 15 mins after that time, unlike my experience in other practices where you could be waiting well over an hour.

lilipuut

I just had a terrible experience with Loughboy Medical Center today. Not with the doctors as I didn't had the chance to see the doctor, but the receptionist.

I'm also new in Kk, got cold took sick leave and decided to see a doctor today, here is the story :

Called in the morning for an appointment, and gave my details ( name & surname, telephone number, address and date of birth )- said that I'm new and very sick so it's urgent. The lady on the phone said that's alright and she has arranged an appointment for me at 11:15 A.M.

I show up in the center 5 minutes earlier than my appointment and wait for 50 minutes. I assume at this point I have the right to ask the receptionist why it is taking long and how long more should I wait. (Don't you think so? ) the receptionist, the lady wearing purple cardigan over black sweater, rudely answers and says " because we are very busy and overbooked." Having that look in the face that says you are in desperate need of the service I am providing so keep your mouth shut, go and sit!

I go back to my sit, one of the doctors calls a name and after a minute the same lady comes to me, rudely and with an insulting tone says " the doctor is calling your name if you take those earphones off you will hear!"

I, pretty sure no one called my name, took a deep breath and ignored the impoliteness I just experienced as a patient and went to the doctor's office.

There, we realize that the appointment is given under someone else's name who only shares one similar thing with me which is the birthday!!!!!!

Another lady comes from the reception and says that there has been a mistake and if I want to I can register for later because today they only take the registered patients!!!!! You already have guessed that my answer was definitely no!

Here is a little advice for the people in healthcare industry, for both providers and patients

1. If the center is busy and it is are overbooking they have to let the patient know. People's time is precious and valuable, they can not waste it like this.

2. When booking over the phone, fully understand what the patient is saying. Bearing in mind that the customer over the phone is a patient!!!

3. When taking a registered patient's information control and verify that the data you receive completely match with the data in the system!!!!

4. Be polite! not because of the old saying "Customer is always right", but because you are representing an organization in service industry and also because of basic social interaction rules!!!

Gael23

They have a second clinic in the centre of Kilkenny which would have been really handy for me because its around the corner from my office. I rang them and the secretary said they are not taking either private or medical card patients.

At the moment I'm looking at Castle Gardens opposite Kilkenny Castle. Now I just need to find a place to live so I have a local address to set up with them

lilipuut

Gael23 wrote: »

They have a second clinic in the centre of Kilkenny which would have been really handy for me because its around the corner from my office. I rang them and the secretary said they are not taking either private or medical card patients.

At the moment I'm looking at Castle Gardens opposite Kilkenny Castle. Now I just need to find a place to live so I have a local address to set up with them

Gael23 could you please keep sharing your experience of the health centre you decide to go and the GP's name, attitude and waiting time? Thanks in advance

Gael23

lilipuut wrote: »

Gael23 could you please keep sharing your experience of the health centre you decide to go and the GP's name, attitude and waiting time? Thanks in advance

I will do but it could be a while before I get set up with one.

bertie4evr

+1 for Castle Gardens. They have great doctors and the waiting time is never too bad, even though they're often busy.

up for anything

Castle Gardens is great. I've never had a problem getting an emergency appointment in all the years I've been with them - 15+. Sure you may have to wait when you get there (take a book) but I'd sooner that and that the doctor gives me 20 mins if I need it when I get in there rather than the 3 minute machine gun appointment system which I recall in London if you had two things wrong with you you nearly had to make another appointment to ask about the second.

Threadhead

Never had a problem with Castle Gardens, rarely a long wait and lovely staff.

Gael23

Went to sign up with castle gardens but they don't seem sure if they are taking on patients or not. Other than that is Ayrfield the only place?

Michael Kavanagh

Gael23 wrote: »

Went to sign up with castle gardens but they don't seem sure if they are taking on patients or not. Other than that is Ayrfield the only place?[ Is there not a medical centre where the newpark shopping centre is

KT Blotter

That place is a dentist in the newpark centre, isn't it?

Michael Kavanagh

KT Blotter wrote: »

That place is a dentist in the newpark centre, isn't it?

Is it not both may be I am wrong .

maggz

Michael Kavanagh wrote: »

Is it not both may be I am wrong .

There's a doctor too, I haven't been

citykat

There's a place in Wolfe Tone street. Beside Padmore and Barnes. No idea what its like but its there years so must be doing something right.

Gael23

citykat wrote: »

There's a place in Wolfe Tone street. Beside Padmore and Barnes. No idea what its like but its there years so must be doing something right.

There is but they won't take new patients.

jjames.mmurphy

I also would like an updated here... what doctor did you book with in the end. Looking to cha 've from Ayrefield as it's so busy and more like a business than a clinic

Gael23

I ended up not staying in Kilkenny very long and at that time Ayrfield weee one of the few places accepting patients.

jjames.mmurphy

Gael23 wrote: »

I ended up not staying in Kilkenny very long and at that time Ayrfield weee one of the few places accepting patients.

No bothers. I'm looking out of there... ha! But looking for a new male doctor. No worries

Gael23

jjames.mmurphy wrote: »

No bothers. I'm looking out of there... ha! But looking for a new male doctor. No worries

Try the place up near the castle. I want a male doctor too and they didn’t say no but weren’t committing so give them a try.

Are you private or medical card, that makes a difference?

countryliving

a very good topic to raise. i moved back to kilkenny about 2 years ago and i didnt have a pleasant experience in ayrfield. the queue when i arrived. then i had to pay immediately then i was waiting upstairs as well as paying for parking on arrival in the carpark. then the lady doctor was extremely rude to me and actually insulted me. i would never go there again. i rang up the place near padmore and barnes looking to see a doctor and the receptionist was so rude. i mean just did not want me going to their clinic. i live outside kilkenny and now i am forced to go to the local GP who my parents attend and he is so rude as well - if you get him on a bad day, it is awful. i know he told a lady who is south african originally to go back to her country! so doctors in kilkenny are hard to come by and a nice lady doctor! do they exist in kilkenny!

road_high

In what way do were they all rude to you?

Joe Daly

Never had a problem with doctors in Ayrfield we had a terminally ill member of the family a couple of years ago between house calls and other things couldn't say anything wrong about them.

jjames.mmurphy

Joe Daly wrote: »

Never had a problem with doctors in Ayrfield we had a terminally ill member of the family a couple of years ago between house calls and other things couldn't say anything wrong about them.

I obv wouldn't paint everyone with the same brush, but some times trying to get an apt is hard... and some times it feels more like a business than a doctor's apt.

But obv some very good doctors working there or it wouldn't be as busy.

Zelda247

I found Ayrfield fine, no problems in the year I was with them.

1984baby

jjames.mmurphy wrote: »

I obv wouldn't paint everyone with the same brush, but some times trying to get an apt is hard... and some times it feels more like a business than a doctor's apt.

But obv some very good doctors working there or it wouldn't be as busy.

It is a business!!!

jjames.mmurphy

1984baby wrote: »

It is a business!!!

My health isn't.... I shouldn't feel like I'm on the clock

Deskjockey

Have never had any issue with Ayrfield in 15 years going there

Rega

Deskjockey wrote: »

Have never had any issue with Ayrfield in 15 years going there

I'm the same

PaulKK

I have been a member there for 7 years.

It's pretty difficult to get an appointment in Ayrfield. Very often will call on a Monday morning with no appointments available at any time for more than a week. This has happened to me approximately 5 times in the last year or so.

This forces you to go to Caredoc in the evening or the emergency walk in clinic in the morning which with kids etc is not very good as you can be waiting a long time. You also have to announce for all to hear why you want to see the doctor to justify seeing them.

On top of of this you don't get to see your actual doctor, so there's no continuity of care.

Great facilities and great doctors but massively oversubscribed. It's actually very frustrating and I have been considering leaving there as I've been forced to use caredoc as a defacto GP for the last number of years due to the lack of appointments.