Guy’s Hospital

Guy’s Hospital is one of my many hospitals I have to visit. I was extremely impressed with this hospital. The staff are very friendly and very helpful, as its a big hospital you can easily get lost but the helpful volunteer at the entrance gave me the quickest and simplest directions to the department I needed and I got there in no time. The staff are all friendly, helpful and very courteous which is surprising for the NHS. I know I have to come back here a few more times and I actually don’t mind as this hospital is great.

I’ve had two experiences here, and both times someone has seen me really quickly and have been great about helping me as a person new to London navigate through the system. There is a pharmacy closeby as well that is open until 10 PM which is helpful since Boots closes super early. Guys Hospital has set a pretty high bar, so I hope my experience with GP’s are as good.

They’re rubbish. I’ve only put one star in order to get the review published. I went there on and off for about two years (referred from my regular dentist). There was no plan, no cohesion, nothing. Everything was done piecemeal. I had a ‘tooth’ put in a gap I had in my mouth and it fell out on the train home. The last contact I had was when they said I had to have some teeth removed from the back of my mouth under sedation. Er, no thanks. My teeth are fine now that I haven’t been going to Guy’s. Cheers!

So far not much. I was referred to guys dental for wisdom tooth removal, I am nervous and will have to have done under ga or sedation to, and its caught between the nerve as well. I am very upset as it hurts. On my first visit to guys the dentist made me a gum shield thing to put in my mouth, but the spit trays are not connected and I was suggested to swallow it. He then said he would write to my dentist for next stage of treatments etc. By my next appointment at dentist a couple of days before the letter had not even been sent off from the hospital, the secretary said it was still sitting on her table and she found it hard to get hold of them to sign it. Then she emailed it over quickly. But I had to do all the work though and pushing and follow ups. My own dentist did me another letter saying that I wanted my wisdom tooth removed to the hospital. 2^nd visit, saw some one else again. I told him I want it out, its painful, I understand the risks and all, he told me the risk and various procedures etc which was fair enough. Then he said its not that simple. I went from 23 to 22 floor to take my form for next appointment and was no one there, they had all gone to lunch for 2hrs, of which they do every day apparently. Lucky a passing nurse said she would hand my form in for me when the returned off lunch. The next day I check the form was handed in and it was and asked the lady on 22^nd floor when my next appointment would be, she had no idea. She said just await for the letter when ever it arrives. I feel that I am being given the run around here. I was told that if they decide to remove my wisdom tooth, it is now getting infected, and to top it all I have heard it can be up to a 6 month wait, and I am not even on the waiting list yet either. I am awaiting to have a CT Cone Scan I think they called it which takes imaging of where the nerve lies on my tooth. I asked him how long for this scan, he said 2 – 3 months. Thats before being placed on the waiting list even. I wish I had the money go pay private, it would have been done by now instead of putting up with it getting worse and pain. Maybe they go through the same old stages with everyone, I dont know. But I told him I would have to be put under ga or sedation. He said they probably would anyway due to where tooth is positioned. I contacted a couple of clinics that do sedation, and they said if my tooth is impacted by the nerve that they would just end up refer me back to hospital again. When I was on floor 22 because no one was there I could not ask any details at that time when giving in the form. So far not impressed at all.

Impressed! I love the NHS when it works. The dental department here is massive. I can only imagine what it takes to run and manage. Glad its not my job. The dentist was really pro. The nurses and admin people were quite helpful too. The wait was not too long either. Downside crap waiting area and poor signage. Can’t have it all

Perhaps I shouldn’t admit this, but I recently had a very unpleasant few days, panicking and in pain. You see, I’d somehow got the idea that you couldn’t get NHS dental treatment if you are working. My excuse is I’ve always previously managed to time my dental emergencies to coincide with periods of unemployment. And I’m also used to getting glasses, where you either pay or get a voucher to help if you can’t, and there’s no help for those that can. So anyway, there I was, with a suspected abscess in one of two teeth competing for one place in my gum, working, but with a cash flow crisis, and thinking I couldn’t go to this place
Then I found I could actually get help with dental costs as long as I got an NHS appointment at a dentist (and the fees suddenly seemed very reasonable considering I’d been expecting a couple of thousand), but my local dentist didn’t have NHS appointments for months. So it was off to this place, with the worst of the pain over by this point!
I visited the walk in clinic. Actually my second visit, but my first was many years ago and involved having an impacted wisdom tooth and part of the surrounding bone removed under a local: not something I’m keen to remember, though that wasn’t their fault. I was advised to arrive about 8 am to queue for the doors to open at 8.30. Thanks to busses it was actually 8.30 when I arrived. After quite a long wait at reception I was actually seen more quickly than expected (I think I may have been lucky), and there’s a stunning view from the waiting room: the clinic is on the 23^rd floor. The walk-​in treatment room is a large room with many bays. The walls of the bays are half height: high enough that patients are out of sight when lying down in the chairs (except those opposite you) but not fully private. I was seen by a 3^rd year student to take my history. She then ‘presented’ to a tutor, and I was sent along the corridor to x-​ray. Another wait there, then back to wait again This time I was seen by a student in her final (5^th) year, who would be treating me. They actually have notices up saying they don’t do permanent fillings and extractions in the walk-​in clinic (usually you’ll have to come back or go to another dentist), but I was offered the chance to have the tooth extracted that day, as the extraction looked strait forward and the tooth was causing me major problems. I said yes, but since it was dinner time by then we agreed after lunch!
After fortifying myself with a good dinner I was escorted into a private room for the extraction. My student was great about waiting for my mouth to become fully numb and giving me a top up (dental anaesthetics seem to work badly on me and I’ve had many experiences where I’ve only become fully numbed up after leaving the dentist). A tutor was not present in the room, but within earshot and was called in several times to check decisions and progress. I felt quite safe. She did try several different instruments before finding one she could get between my teeth, but then the tooth was out before I realised it. I was surprised to not be given antibiotics since I’d been told it was badly infected: apparently the infection comes out with the tooth! It does feel fine today.
Afterwards I felt lousy of course (not being able to wash the blood out is horrible and I think worse with a front tooth than a wisdom). A few tips on leaving if you came in via London Bridge Station (there’s a pedestrian walkway from there by the way: ask station staff), then remember that you entered the Hospital on the 2^nd floor. Taking the lift down to the ground floor is a very good way to get yourself totally confused. Also do not go to Borough Market. All those lovely food samples are just a way of torturing yourself. Finally, I’d advise you do go to Southwark Cathedral. Perfect place to relax and take your mind off a sore mouth.
Overall, excellent. I actually wouldn’t feel too outraged about paying NHS charges now I could feasibly find the money, though free is nice. Of course many will find the fact that its treatment by someone not yet qualified scary. And there’s the lack of privacy, and the waiting around still, a bloomin good service.