Van Heerden Physiotherapists - Life Groenkloof
3|2 reviews
HvdP
Hannetjie van der Post
1 reviews | Active since Member
04 Dec 2025, 13:34
Receptionist, Sinti, is BEYOND rude
This is to complain about the extreme rudeness of the receptionist, Sinti, at Surge Ortho, Life Groenkloof Hospital, Pretoria.
Today was not the first time that Sinti has been rude to me, but my encounter with her today, made my blood boil, I swear. I left completely disgruntled, but I thought by myself "Please just leave before Sinti causes you to make a scene".
As soon as someone contacts me, I'll discuss all the details, and I'll immediately delete this negative review, because in actual fact I am very satisfied with treatment received from a physiothe******, Stephen Barnsley. However, Sinti drives me up the walls and I'll really appreciate help so that I can deal with this prima donna.
Once this matter has been resolved, and my frown has been turned upside down, I'll write a 5-star review, I promise.
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Replies (53)HvdP
Hannetjie van der Post's updateReviewer Update
05 Dec 2025, 06:41To provide context to my complaint, I decided to give background information. Three months ago, on 3 September 2025, I had knee replacement surgery, done by an orthopedic surgeon, Dr Toni Monni. I do not have full medical cover, but only a hospital plan with Discovery Health. While I was in hospital, as well as a stepdown centre afterwards, Discovery Health paid ALL costs, including a payment of R6528-00 to Martin van Heerden Physiothe******s on 16 September 2025 for 7 physiotherapy sessions (from 3 September 2025 to 9 September 2025).Since then, I had 6 physiotherapy sessions, for which Discovery Health OBVIOUSLY will not pay, because these sessions are regarded as out-of-hospital treatments, and I do not have a problem with this.My problem, that I want to get resolved, follows: Everytime when I visited Martin van Heerden Physiothe******s, starting on 18 September 2025, I was told to pay a certain amount before leaving the premises, without providing me with an invoice. Now, I’m the kind of person who prefers to check whether I agree with everything on an invoice, before paying blindly. But, it does not work like this at Martin van Heerden Physiothe******s. Since my first out-of-hospital physiotherapy session on 18 September 2025, I had to wait AT LEAST two weeks before I received an invoice via email. Everytime I would inform Sinti via WhatsApp that I have not received an invoice for such-and-such date and time, and every time Sinti would go out of her way to answer me in the most sarcastic way possible.On Monday, 1 December 2025, I sent Sinti a WhatsApp message to inform her that I never received an invoice for a physiotherapy session with Stephen Barnsley, which occurred THREE weeks prior, namely on Wednesday, 12 November 2025. I braced myself for Sinti’s usual sarcastic response, but to my astonishment, she decided to share the contact details of the accounts department of Martin van Heerden Physiothe******s. I wanted to ask Sinti “Could you not have shared this information with me WEEKS ago?” but I decided NOT to be passive aggressive towards Sinti.Subsequently, I phoned Cindy from the accounts department of Martin van Heerden Physiothe******s. I asked Cindy why I had to wait SO long to receive an invoice after a physiotherapy session. Cindy’s response was that she had to wait for Sinti to complete reconciliation of payments received, and that this process usually takes about two weeks. In other words, Sinti is the bottleneck.I also asked Cindy why there is a discrepancy between amounts payable, when I pay out of my own pocket versus when a claim is submitted to Discovery Health. Cindi said that I had to discuss this with Sinti.So, on Thursday, 4 December 2025, I drove to Life Groenkloof Hospital to ask Sinti this question, because I thought it would be better to discuss this with her in person, rather than via WhatsApp. Sinti treated me with UTTER disrespect and contempt. She acted as if I had no rights whatsoever to ask her any questions regarding my account. At one stage, it looked as if she was going to explode, because I refused to accept her disregard of my issue. I was also on the verge of losing my composure and it was then that I decided to leave the premises in a state of complete disgruntlement. I felt embarrassed because other patients were sitting in the waiting room area.I refuse to ever have to face Sinti again in my lifetime. Luckily Martin van Heerden Physiothe******s have different sites where I can see Stephen Barnsley for future physiotherapy sessions. And should I visit Surge Orthopedic Surgeons again, I’ll just address Inge-Marie, the receptionist of Dr Toni Monni, who is always extremely friendly and helpful.I have several questions about all the amounts paid to Martin van Heerden Physiothe******s regarding the knee replacement surgery that I had. Two weeks before my knee replacement surgery, namely on Tuesday, On 19 August 2025, I attended a pre-operation clinic at the premises of Surge Orthopedic Surgeons, for which I had to pay R3822-00 out of my own pocket. Part of this payment was R870-00 for Martin van Heerden Physiothe******s. I still do not know exactly what has been covered by this R870-00 as well as R3503-00 that was charged by Martin van Heerden Physiothe******s on 3 September 2025. I’ll appreciate answers to my questions, please.Should my complaint be ignored, there is NO way that I will continue treatment with Martin van Heerden Physiothe******s after my second knee replacement surgery scheduled for Thursday, 29 January 2026.
HvdP
Hannetjie van der Post's update05 Dec 2025, 06:41
Reviewer Update
To provide context to my complaint, I decided to give background information. Three months ago, on 3 September 2025, I had knee replacement surgery, done by an orthopedic surgeon, Dr Toni Monni. I do not have full medical cover, but only a hospital plan with Discovery Health. While I was in hospital, as well as a stepdown centre afterwards, Discovery Health paid ALL costs, including a payment of R6528-00 to Martin van Heerden Physiothe******s on 16 September 2025 for 7 physiotherapy sessions (from 3 September 2025 to 9 September 2025).Since then, I had 6 physiotherapy sessions, for which Discovery Health OBVIOUSLY will not pay, because these sessions are regarded as out-of-hospital treatments, and I do not have a problem with this.My problem, that I want to get resolved, follows: Everytime when I visited Martin van Heerden Physiothe******s, starting on 18 September 2025, I was told to pay a certain amount before leaving the premises, without providing me with an invoice. Now, I’m the kind of person who prefers to check whether I agree with everything on an invoice, before paying blindly. But, it does not work like this at Martin van Heerden Physiothe******s. Since my first out-of-hospital physiotherapy session on 18 September 2025, I had to wait AT LEAST two weeks before I received an invoice via email. Everytime I would inform Sinti via WhatsApp that I have not received an invoice for such-and-such date and time, and every time Sinti would go out of her way to answer me in the most sarcastic way possible.On Monday, 1 December 2025, I sent Sinti a WhatsApp message to inform her that I never received an invoice for a physiotherapy session with Stephen Barnsley, which occurred THREE weeks prior, namely on Wednesday, 12 November 2025. I braced myself for Sinti’s usual sarcastic response, but to my astonishment, she decided to share the contact details of the accounts department of Martin van Heerden Physiothe******s. I wanted to ask Sinti “Could you not have shared this information with me WEEKS ago?” but I decided NOT to be passive aggressive towards Sinti.Subsequently, I phoned Cindy from the accounts department of Martin van Heerden Physiothe******s. I asked Cindy why I had to wait SO long to receive an invoice after a physiotherapy session. Cindy’s response was that she had to wait for Sinti to complete reconciliation of payments received, and that this process usually takes about two weeks. In other words, Sinti is the bottleneck.I also asked Cindy why there is a discrepancy between amounts payable, when I pay out of my own pocket versus when a claim is submitted to Discovery Health. Cindi said that I had to discuss this with Sinti.So, on Thursday, 4 December 2025, I drove to Life Groenkloof Hospital to ask Sinti this question, because I thought it would be better to discuss this with her in person, rather than via WhatsApp. Sinti treated me with UTTER disrespect and contempt. She acted as if I had no rights whatsoever to ask her any questions regarding my account. At one stage, it looked as if she was going to explode, because I refused to accept her disregard of my issue. I was also on the verge of losing my composure and it was then that I decided to leave the premises in a state of complete disgruntlement. I felt embarrassed because other patients were sitting in the waiting room area.I refuse to ever have to face Sinti again in my lifetime. Luckily Martin van Heerden Physiothe******s have different sites where I can see Stephen Barnsley for future physiotherapy sessions. And should I visit Surge Orthopedic Surgeons again, I’ll just address Inge-Marie, the receptionist of Dr Toni Monni, who is always extremely friendly and helpful.I have several questions about all the amounts paid to Martin van Heerden Physiothe******s regarding the knee replacement surgery that I had. Two weeks before my knee replacement surgery, namely on Tuesday, On 19 August 2025, I attended a pre-operation clinic at the premises of Surge Orthopedic Surgeons, for which I had to pay R3822-00 out of my own pocket. Part of this payment was R870-00 for Martin van Heerden Physiothe******s. I still do not know exactly what has been covered by this R870-00 as well as R3503-00 that was charged by Martin van Heerden Physiothe******s on 3 September 2025. I’ll appreciate answers to my questions, please.Should my complaint be ignored, there is NO way that I will continue treatment with Martin van Heerden Physiothe******s after my second knee replacement surgery scheduled for Thursday, 29 January 2026.