Good luck trying to make an appointment, even if they do decide to take you on as a patient. There are several people working behind the reception desk, but they won't answer the phones. At one point I let the phone ring for 9 minutes, only to be put directly on hold for another 25 before I was then disconnected! I find the receptionists rude and lacking knowledge, and the doctor I had been assigned even more rude. Don't waste your time at this place.

My family has been coming to this clinic for 12 years and, although sometimes the waits were long and the clinic sometimes closed an hour or so earlier than posted, we've always had good service here. The doctors changed through the years but they were all fine and very helpful. It was a place we could rely on in an emergency. Not so anymore.

About a year ago this clinic moved into a larger office space where, I was told, they'd "have room for more doctors so the wait times would be shorter". So far that hasn't played out. The waits are longer, there's often only one doctor on call, and, whle the sign on the sidewalk clearly says the hours are "9am - 7pm and walk-ins are welcome" the real hours are more random than ever. And the reception staff has changed for the worse.

Yesterday, I called the clinic at 11:20 and was told they only had one doctor on and one appointment left, for 4:30, which would be taken up by the next person to walk in, "probably in the next 2 minutes". I asked if I could book that appointment since I'd be coming from downtown and the skytrain takes 30 minutes and the girl said no, it was first come first serve. Maybe I should have expected that since both my husband and daughter had issues here in the last few months; my daughter actually made an appointment weeks in advance and when she got to the clinic on the day of her appointment the place was closed for the day. No one had called her to cancel.

Yesterday, the girl I spoke with was rude, smug, and had her back up from the minute she answered the phone. I guess they have to deal with a lot of upset people. After she told me they'd be fully booked for the day within the next few minutes of my call, I asked her why their sign says the hours are from 9 to 7 if they actually stop effectively helping people at 4:30 and she said "I don't have to be talked to that way".

I was totally taken back by that. It was like a scene in some weird satire. Maybe there was frustration in my voice but I certainly wasn't abusive or rude in any way. I'd just asked the question. I told her that however she thought I was talking to her I'd still like to know why they misrepresent their hours and was told "that's the way it is, if you don't like it, go elsewhere". Not the best attitude for someone who's in the business of helping people to take. That's probably the worst part of it . I can understand if the clinic is having trouble getting doctors in. I get that one doctor can't be expected to work non-stop for 10 hours. But the insolence of the reception staff toward people who are sick and need some compassion is unacceptable.

Fortunately, there are several other clinics in the area with better service and friendlier staff so my family and I will follow the suggestion and go elsewhere.