Riverside Medical Centre Reviews Summary

Booking System

Pros:

• "I’ve never had any issues booking appointments."
• "I have always called at 8am - as advised - to book a same day appointment, and that has always worked out for me."

Cons:

• "Why is it so hard to arrange a simple appointment and communicate the time/location correctly?"
• "The worst part is that it is impossible to get a same day appointment."
• "Everything has to be two to three weeks in advance."
• "You simply cannot get an appointment."
• "It has become impossible to speak or see a doctor."
• "Completely agree with the feedback about how unnecessarily complicated it is to make an appointment."
• "Once you do manage to get an appointment don't then expect to be called in that time frame."

Staff and Doctors

Pros:

• "Whoever is on reception, is always polite and helpful."
• "Every nurse and doctor there has been professional with me."
• "Whenever I have seen someone, they have been extremely helpful, kind, thoughtful and thorough."
• "The Doctors have always gone out of their way to be caring and helpful to me."
• "An excellent practice. Very short waiting times, attentive receptionists."

Cons:

• "Staff lack any empathy."
• "Some seem embarrassed by the processes they have to work with."
• "Practice is run by locums who don't care."
• "I had a terrible experience once with the admin team though."
• "Receptionists always rude over the phone."
• "As for the staff, I again completely agree with all of the other reviews. Rude, uninterested, put out are just some of the ways I would describe them."
• "The reception is useless, so unhelpful."
• "Completely unsympathetic nurses."

Clinic Management

Pros:

• "They've been accommodating."
• "This is a very caring and helpful place to be treated."

Cons:

• "The present is a different place. They are more interested in the Hurley Group than they are putting the patient at the centre of their care."
• "Completely oversubscribed, long wait times, and the worst communication/appointment booking system I’ve ever seen."
• "They shouldn't take new patients even if they couldn't offer an appointment with their old patients."
• "If you really need care, or advice, better surgeries exist in the area."
• "This place used to be First Class in terms of appointments, quality of care, and admin. But then they merged with Hurley and then everything deteriorated."
• "But I guess the managers at the top hand tried to cut all services to patients while still calling themselves a health trust for primary care."

Patient Care and Services

Pros:

• "I’ve had various appointments and tests here, and have always felt listened to."
• "The doctors have always tried to cover all bases with regards to tests etc."

Cons:

• "You are left on hold for up to an hour at a time."
• "It took me 8 years to get a diagnosis for my condition."
• "The worst place, not help at all with nothing, reception guy scream."
• "The worst gp I have ever registered.most of the doctors who works in there are careless."

Communication

Pros:

• "Today they sorted out an admin issue on my NHS account in like 5 minutes."

Cons:

• "Simple administrative issues can take months."
• "I have been in continual contact (via email, as they do not pick up calls) regarding the incorrect management of my medical records."
• "Once you are in the practice, with an appointment, you may experience a delay, but that’s it. The issue really is having someone pick up the phone."
• "No one answers the phone either - set aside a good half a day if you really need to speak with them."
• "They never pick up the phone and when they do they hang up on you."
• "Their communication is absolutely terrible."

Overall

Pros:

• "This is still a great practice. The doctors, the staff, the service all are good."

Cons:

• "I'm really not sure why this practice has such high ratings."
• "Absolutely do not recommend. There are much better places."
• "Unacceptable service, better off without it."