Carmel Medical Practice
Average! (41 reviews)
Average! (41 reviews)
Patient feedback reflects a mixed experience with this practice, with notable divergence between those satisfied with clinical care and those encountering significant barriers to access. Many patients praise the compassionate and professional approach of clinical staff, describing thorough assessments and supportive interactions that inspire confidence. Reception teams receive consistent recognition for courtesy and helpfulness, and the practice environment is noted for cleanliness and accessible facilities.
However, appointment access emerges as a substantial and recurring concern. Patients report considerable difficulty securing appointments, with some experiencing waits of several months for doctor consultations. The telephone booking system presents particular challenges, including lengthy waiting times to enter queues and lack of transparency about position in the queue. Some patients describe the booking process as frustrating and problematic, with limited availability of preferred appointment slots. Communication delays also feature prominently, with patients reporting unresponsive emails and the need for multiple follow-ups to receive contact.
Additional service concerns include medication management issues, with some patients reporting changes made without adequate notice or discussion, and instances where equipment functionality problems disrupted scheduled appointments. A small number of patients raised concerns about the appropriateness of clinical responses and the accessibility of the complaints process. Despite these challenges, several patients who have successfully accessed care express strong satisfaction with the quality of clinical support received.
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Patient feedback reflects a mixed experience with this practice, with notable divergence between those satisfied with clinical care and those encountering significant barriers to access. Many patients praise the compassionate and professional approach of clinical staff, describing thorough assessments and supportive interactions that inspire confidence. Reception teams receive consistent recognition for courtesy and helpfulness, and the practice environment is noted for cleanliness and accessible facilities.
However, appointment access emerges as a substantial and recurring concern. Patients report considerable difficulty securing appointments, with some experiencing waits of several months for doctor consultations. The telephone booking system presents particular challenges, including lengthy waiting times to enter queues and lack of transparency about position in the queue. Some patients describe the booking process as frustrating and problematic, with limited availability of preferred appointment slots. Communication delays also feature prominently, with patients reporting unresponsive emails and the need for multiple follow-ups to receive contact.
Additional service concerns include medication management issues, with some patients reporting changes made without adequate notice or discussion, and instances where equipment functionality problems disrupted scheduled appointments. A small number of patients raised concerns about the appropriateness of clinical responses and the accessibility of the complaints process. Despite these challenges, several patients who have successfully accessed care express strong satisfaction with the quality of clinical support received.
Appointment
Reception
Cleanliness
Care
Respect
Seen on time
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Jean M.
12 years ago
Bad!
Impossible to book appointments through expensive phone line
Accessing appointments at this surgery proves remarkably challenging. The practice operates using a non-geographic number that incurs significant charges when calling from a mobile phone, and these calls are typically not covered by standard landline packages, resulting in costs of at least 5p per minute just to book an appointment. Based on experience, calls typically last between 6 and 12 minutes depending on when you ring, with a minimum wait of almost 2 minutes simply to enter the appointment queue. Guidance has been circulated to medical practices recommending the adoption of standard geographic numbers, yet this practice has chosen not to follow this recommendation or take into account patient feedback on this matter. Securing an appointment with a preferred doctor is equally frustrating, as the practice employs a problematic system for releasing appointment slots, with significant blocks of availability appearing to remain unavailable. Having been registered here for 25 years before relocating, I returned to the practice two years ago. However, the experience prompted me to seek care elsewhere at a surgery that appears to prioritise patient needs rather than operational statistics and financial considerations. When I contacted my new practice, I was struck by how promptly a receptionist answered the phone within just three rings using a standard geographic number, and I was offered a convenient appointment with my chosen doctor.