Salisbury Street Consulting Suites

I don’t normally write reviews, however I feel I should provide some feedback regarding my experience with one of the reception staff at the consulting suites. I had an appointment scheduled with my psychiatrist but I realised I hadn’t received the usual confirmation text, so I called the rooms to double check. The receptionist I spoke to seemed to have no idea what she was doing and couldn’t understand what I was asking. She told me that I didn’t have an appointment booked for today, and didn’t provide any further explanation or offer to find a solution. My psychiatrist is an excellent doctor and I’ve been seeing him regularly for years, and I’ve never encountered this level of incompetence with reception before. I work in patient administration at a busy private hospital so I understand there’s a lot to navigate, but when patients are unable to communicate with their doctors directly, there is no room for administrative errors or overbooking appointments and poor communication, especially in a mental healthcare setting where the psychiatrists availability is limited. Any secretarial, clerical and other administrative failures compromise patient care and safety, especially those with complex mental health needs and high-risk patients. It is easy to forget that admin processes and front-desk staff can directly affect patient care and wellbeing even though they are not clinicians. I highly suggest that the clinic ensure their staff are adequately trained and place high importance on effective communication skills.