West Durham Family Health Team - Pickering, Ontario

sepideh moridani

West Durham Family Health Team is great. Receptions are very kind and help full and give information and consultant. Place is clean and safe. There is comfortable waiting area and Dr. Baher Zakeri is very kind and helpful. It is good walking clinic and the next door is pharmacy. All you need in one place.

Susan Berry

Beyond frustrating, the reception staff have no idea what is going on. They are inconsistent with the information being given out and when challenged they sit silently on the phone with no response. I asked to speak with a supervisor or other higher-up person and my request was ignored. Specifically, I called on Thursday to make an appointment for my daughter for Monday morning I was told to call back Monday at 9 and that there were walk-in appointments available first thing the last available appointment being at 11:45, call back Monday morning at 9:02 and was told, there were no walk-in appointments available and the Doctor was booked up. The family doctor I inherited when Dr Potter retired is barely in the office so it can take weeks to book an appointment with her. I should note the Doctor who covers for her is lovely, and I have been seeing her more regularly than my actual family Doctor; when I can get an appointment and not sent off to urgent care. I think the reception staff fails to realize that not everything can dealt with in 5 minutes or less at Urgent Care especially when follow-up or specialist appointments might be needed.

Jenn Wright

I use to love this office, today unfortunately changed my opinion of that. I called asking to see why the drs office had ignored the pharmacies faxes for a couple days asking to change a prescription due to a back order. The receptionist was less than helpful, and refused to ask to on call dr to prescribe something in place. So now I’m left here on a Saturday, with a bleeding scalp, no prescription, and no help. Their lack of empathy to help rectify their mistake really let me down.

Chantell Mitchell

I've been coming to this clinic since birth and I am so frustrated with how it has dropped in quality. No one picks up calls and when they are eventually picked up, you're put on hold for 25+ minutes before the call is hung up and you have to start over. After my doctor retired I appreciate being set up with a new doctor but come on, being late for PHONE appointments is so frustrating. Especially when I then am late for my own clients at work. My time is important too. Doctors need to check files more closely and do look at the details. Our healthcare system is failing and the decline at WDFHT is proof.

Don Bronsconi

As a patient who has frequented West Durham Health Clinic for some time, I feel compelled to share my ongoing frustrations with the subpar service provided at this facility. While healthcare services should prioritize patient care, my experience at this clinic has been marred by inefficiency, poor communication, and unnecessary delays.

One of the most glaring issues at West Durham Health Clinic is their inability to manage phone calls effectively. On numerous occasions, I have attempted to reach the clinic by phone, only to be met with endless ringing and, eventually, the voicemail. It has become the norm rather than the exception to be forced to leave a message because no one answers the phone. However, leaving a message seems to be an exercise in futility. Rarely are these messages returned, leaving patients in a state of limbo, uncertain whether their inquiries or needs have been acknowledged, let alone addressed. This lack of communication is unacceptable for a health clinic, where timely responses can often be crucial to a patient's health and well-being.

Adding to the frustration is the recurring issue with prescription management. There have been multiple instances where my prescriptions, which were supposed to be faxed to the pharmacy, either never made it there or were inexplicably delayed. The reverse situation is equally problematic, with the pharmacy often struggling to get responses or prescriptions approved by the clinic in a timely manner. This mishandling of prescriptions is not just an inconvenience but a serious issue that can directly impact a patient's health. Having to follow up repeatedly with both the clinic and the pharmacy to ensure that my medications are processed correctly is both time-consuming and anxiety-inducing.

Given the persistent problems at West Durham Health Clinic, I have often found myself resorting to walk-in clinics as a more reliable alternative. While one would expect their primary healthcare provider to be the most efficient point of contact for medical needs, my experience has been quite the opposite. Walk-in clinics, which are often associated with longer wait times, have proven to be more efficient in terms of both communication and service delivery compared to West Durham Health Clinic. At walk-ins, my calls are answered promptly, my prescriptions are handled without issue, and I can see a healthcare provider without the bureaucratic delays that seem to plague West Durham Health Clinic.

In conclusion, West Durham Health Clinic has consistently fallen short of the basic standards one should expect from a healthcare provider. The frequent failure to answer phone calls, the poor management of prescription services, and the general inefficiency have driven me to seek care elsewhere. It is disheartening that what should be a reliable healthcare facility is instead a source of frustration and stress. I hope that the clinic takes serious steps to address these issues, as the current level of service is simply unacceptable. Until significant improvements are made, I will continue to rely on walk-in clinics, where I can at least be assured of receiving the care and attention that every patient deserves.

Daniel

Office is going to start charging $20 every time your pharmacist requests a refill “in order to reduce work load”

Sure, having everyone swarm in for useless doctors visits to do it will surely fix that problem. Give me a break and just admit it’s nothing more than a cash grab. As if things don’t cost enough for people right now

Brooke M

Had my family Doctor here who retired, called to make an appointment and was told I should have got something in the mail and that I had a time limit to let them know if I was staying. So basically got kicked out of the practice. called to discuss further was placed on hold for 40 minutes, You suck!

Meliha Waddell

This is the worst clinic one can come across as some of their doctors and staff definitely do not care about human life. Their services should be shut down or reported to the Ministry of Health. Nobody ever answers the calls, if you leave the message nobody returns your calls. Friend of mine who is patient there was sent to do blood test and to do colonoscopy.....he is trying to find out his blood results and date for his procedure....absolutely no answer. No response at all. These people should not be providing health care.