Carmel Medical Practice

Nurse listened and really helped me

The nursing staff provided excellent care and support.

Helpful staff made settling in easy

Recently moved to the area and found the practice to be exceptionally helpful and courteous. The experience was significantly better than my previous healthcare provider. Nothing to fault whatsoever, very grateful for the service received.

Always there when I've needed support

I have to say I'm puzzled by the negative feedback I've seen here. This practice has consistently been available when I've needed them and has provided valuable support on several important occasions.

Friendly reception staff made the visit pleasant

Excellent medical practice

Clean facilities and welcoming staff made visit pleasant

The facility maintains excellent cleanliness standards throughout. The team members demonstrated courtesy and helpfulness. The premises include accessible facilities as well as standard facilities, with adequate seating arrangements. Parking is available on site, and the reception and treatment areas are well-appointed.

Felt genuinely listened to during appointment

I appreciate the excellent care provided during my recent visit to the practice.

Messages ignored until repeatedly chased up

Unsatisfactory experience overall. I am in the process of leaving this practice. The standard of correspondence is very poor, with delayed responses to my enquiries requiring multiple follow-ups before receiving contact. When replies do come through, they often direct me to call the practice, which involves lengthy waiting times for a response. Phone-based responses lack documentation, making it difficult to maintain a clear record of discussions. During my time as a patient, there have been several instances where my medication management has not met expectations. On one occasion, a change was made to my treatment without prior notification or discussion. The complaints procedure appears limited, as it relies solely on telephoning the practice management, which does not generate a written record and appears to resolve matters internally only. This has been frustrating across multiple aspects of my care.

Difficult to book appointments with good staff

Quite disappointing overall. I've had experiences that didn't match expectations, and found some staff interactions to be unpleasant. The practice appears to have limited clinicians who provide the standard of care I was hoping for. Securing appointments with these particular clinicians proves very difficult. Additionally, I felt the practice was not well-suited to addressing my healthcare needs in this area.

Long waits and confusing booking system

This surgery has significant issues that need addressing. The waiting system lacks transparency, leaving patients uncertain about their position. I struggled to secure an appointment for an extended period. These problems appear to be central to the negative feedback the practice receives, and urgent improvements are necessary if they are genuinely committed to enhancing their service.

Phone queue wait was frustrating and unclear

Experienced a lengthy wait when attempting to book an appointment by telephone, without receiving any indication of the expected duration or my position in the queue.

Reception staff treated me with respect

I am surprised by the negative feedback this practice receives, as I have been satisfied with the support and care I get from them. I would suggest that on occasion, the initial interaction between patients and the reception team may influence their overall perception.

Reception made me photograph my symptoms

I understand there are challenging circumstances at present, but I found it frustrating to be asked by reception staff to take photographs of my symptoms and submit them via email rather than being seen in person. This approach felt unreasonable to me.

Easy to get same-day appointments here

I have been a patient at this practice for over a decade. The service has been excellent, with appointments readily available when needed and the team consistently providing good care. I would strongly recommend this practice to others.

Staff were helpful with same-day child appointments

I have consistently found the team to be supportive and accommodating, and whenever I have required an appointment for a young family member, it has been arranged promptly on the same day.

Impossible to book appointments by phone

It has been difficult to secure appointments through the standard booking process. Despite arranging visits ahead of time, several have been cancelled with minimal notice. I was advised to arrive very early in the morning to obtain an appointment slot. As someone who relies on a wheelchair for mobility and does not drive, this approach presents significant practical challenges.

Doctors take time to listen properly

I have nothing but positive things to say about this practice. The clinical staff are consistently professional, compassionate and efficient. When visiting for appointments, I have never felt rushed or constrained by time limitations - each clinician takes as long as needed with every patient, and for that reason I am never frustrated about waiting times. The reception team have always been helpful and very efficient as well. Overall, I could not ask for a better experience at this practice.

Receptionists went extra mile for me

I have been a patient at this practice for many years, and my family has been registered there for even longer. Throughout my time as a patient, I have consistently had positive experiences and found the clinical staff to be compassionate and understanding. The reception team has been particularly supportive, showing genuine consideration when my circumstances have made it difficult to attend appointments in person. I have no complaints about the service provided. The one area that could be improved would be the introduction of an online appointment booking system, as the current process for securing appointments can sometimes be challenging.

Couldn't book urgent dressing change appointment quickly

Following a minor procedure, I was advised by the hospital to have my wound dressing changed every 1-2 days to reduce infection risk. The practice was unable to offer any available appointments for three days, and when contact was eventually made, I was told it would need to be processed as a repeat prescription because the necessary items would need to be ordered in. The task itself would have only required around 10 minutes with a qualified nurse for cleaning and re-bandaging. I was surprised that such routine medical supplies weren't readily available at the practice. I found the service frustrating, and there didn't appear to be a straightforward online method to submit feedback about my experience.

Helpful and always sorts problems out

I can't fault this surgery. The clinician here is lovely and has always been able to sort my problems out.

Reception dismissive when raising health concerns

I attended an appointment regarding joint discomfort in my lower limbs. The clinician became visibly upset and spoke in a raised voice, suggesting that there were more serious health conditions affecting other patients and questioning why I was seeking help for my concern. I found this response inappropriate and upsetting. I wonder if this reaction was influenced by knowledge of a previous complaint I had made, and whether the clinician felt I was making unnecessary use of NHS services. As someone with strong personal values, I felt my character was being unfairly questioned. The clinician also made a comment implying I believed I had greater medical knowledge than them, which was not something I had suggested. I felt this was an unfair characterisation and resented the implication that professional qualifications gave them the right to dismiss my perspective.