Chelmer Medical Partnership (Tennyson House Surgery)

Frustrating healthcare system with endless appointment errors

The personnel are acceptable, HOWEVER, the scheduling process is absolutely abysmal; constant glitches, repeated failures! It's become virtually impossible to secure an in-person medical consultation. My recommendation is to rely on emergency services for all healthcare needs until this system is restored to its previous functionality, before the current administration's interventions.

Terrible medical service with zero patient care

This surgical practice is an absolute nightmare. Their case management is completely reactive and ineffective. They impose ridiculously restrictive communication windows for results, which they conveniently modify at their discretion. Their online appointment system is equally frustrating, frequently going offline without warning. Every single time I've tried to contact them, I'm stuck in a never-ending phone queue, only to eventually reach staff who seem utterly incompetent and unable to provide any meaningful assistance.

Frustrating wait for impossible appointment scheduling

I've been struggling for more than a month to secure an appointment, and I'm still coming up empty-handed. How difficult can this process possibly be?

Frustrating healthcare experience with endless waiting

Securing an appointment is a nightmare. Expect a minimum 30-minute wait just to connect with a representative, assuming you can even access the online queuing system. Update The skilled physicians have mostly departed. Their new scheduling platform means enduring weeks of waiting for any medical consultation. Forget seeing a doctor familiar with your history—getting any appointment is challenging. It's no surprise emergency departments are overwhelmed when obtaining a general practitioner appointment seems virtually impossible.

Frustrating and unnecessary medical appointment process

The appointment booking process is incredibly frustrating and impractical. Having to complete a mandatory form just to schedule a doctor's visit seems completely unnecessary, especially for elderly patients. My husband's 90-year-old aunt relies entirely on him to help her with medical arrangements, and his availability is limited. She hasn't seen a GP since May, despite being told she requires a follow-up review in six months. It's absurd that after the doctor specifically recommended a subsequent consultation, she still has to navigate an additional bureaucratic hurdle by filling out a form before being able to secure an appointment.

Terrible customer service and scheduling frustration

Unable to connect via phone to schedule an appointment

Great care from compassionate medical professionals

Top-notch medical professionals who really know their stuff.

Compassionate nurse saves the day with late appointment

Despite arriving 20 minutes past my scheduled time at 7:35 PM, when the staff were clearly preparing to wrap up for the day, the nurse was incredibly accommodating. She took the time to set up her equipment and conduct my ECG heart check without any hint of frustration. Her professionalism and kindness were truly appreciated - a big thank you for her exceptional service.

Terrible triage process fails patients completely

The recently implemented triage approach is utterly ineffective and repulsive

Terrible experience with uncaring melbourne doctor

Utterly appalling how the medical staff at Melbourne house surgery completely disregarded my daughter, with the physician showing zero compassion or genuine interest during her consultation.

Terrible service and attitude at this clinic

The reception staff displayed an incredibly dismissive and condescending attitude, completely unwilling to listen or engage constructively. Their demeanor suggested they believed everyone else was mistaken, while preventing patients from even discussing their concerns with one another. The lack of empathy was striking and thoroughly unprofessional. These employees seem fundamentally unsuited to customer service roles, demonstrating zero capacity to handle criticism or interact with patients respectfully. Their body language and tone consistently communicated contempt, with eye-rolling and talking down to people. They urgently need comprehensive retraining in customer communication or should be replaced entirely by personnel capable of providing compassionate, patient-centered service.

Welcoming service with a few booking system concerns

The personnel here are incredibly welcoming and supportive. I've visited a handful of times since relocating to Chelmsford and have consistently had a smooth experience. Their updated reservation platform works great for less time-sensitive appointments, but I'm disappointed they've eliminated the option to schedule in-person, and I believe they should reconsider this policy.

Nightmare healthcare experience with a sick child

After struggling to secure a medical appointment for our 4-year-old with a persistently high fever that wouldn't respond to medication, we were forced to visit the emergency room twice before receiving a strep diagnosis and antibiotics. Initially, they advised us to contact our doctor if symptoms continued, but we couldn't reach anyone, compelling us to return to A&E. The same-day appointment booking link consistently showed no availability, regardless of checking every two hours. Subsequently, an ear infection developed a week later, and 111 directed us to our GP. Unable to get through by phone, we arrived with a distressed, crying child, only to have the receptionist instruct us to call 111. Upon refusing to leave, a doctor finally examined us, diagnosed an ear infection, and prescribed antibiotics to be collected urgently. However, the doctor failed to send the prescription, leading to a frustrating evening of calls between A&E, the pharmacy, and 111 trying to locate the prescription while caring for our very sick child. An out-of-hours doctor eventually called around midnight to confirm the prescription hadn't been sent and would now be available for collection. As a patient of this surgery since 2007, who previously praised their services, I never imagined I would need to leave such a negative review about the appalling service at Tennyson House.

Frustrating surgery with unhelpful and uncooperative staff

I visited the surgery this morning to book an appointment, and to my astonishment, the entire booking process had been altered without any formal communication sent to me - no email, text, or letter informed me of these changes. What does the surgery expect? That I should visit daily or weekly to ensure I'm up to date with their seemingly random modifications? The reception interaction was even worse. They were unable to understand or cooperate, and whenever I sought clarification, they would respond with "I'm here to help you" and claim I was speaking inappropriately. I simply wanted answers to my questions, which should be a reasonable request. If they cannot handle inquiries, they should at least refrain from such comments. I requested to speak with the Practice manager and received a dismissive response: "Send a letter, and we'll look into it." When I asked about individuals unable to use online booking, no satisfactory explanation was provided. Regarding my online medicine prescription that hadn't reached the pharmacy after 10 days, the receptionist denied receiving the request, despite my presenting evidence from their online system. She appeared unwilling to listen to the patient, seeming to have predetermined responses instead of genuinely hearing concerns. In such a setting, staff should be more courteous and receptive. Somehow, I completed the appointment booking form, only to receive a text with a link that led to no available appointments - an incredibly frustrating experience. My fundamental questions remain: Does the surgery believe patients have nothing better to do than constantly check their link for appointments? What about emergencies that aren't A&E-worthy but require immediate attention? I've already spent 5 hours attempting to secure an appointment. Sometimes I question the purpose of having a GP if accessing necessary medicines and treatments becomes so challenging. I believe someone in the NHS has overthought the appointment booking process, creating a system that helps no one and only increases patient stress. It represents a complete waste of NHS resources and time.

Nightmare booking system with zero patient support

I've attempted multiple times to secure an appointment, with a minimum queue number of 15 and a mandatory one-hour wait. The most frustrating aspect is that after enduring an hour on hold, no appointments are available for the next two weeks. Is this serious? For the past 3-4 days, I've been trying to obtain my daughter's test results. I've called repeatedly, selected option 3, but all lines are perpetually busy and the call drops. The service provided by this surgery is absolutely abysmal. It's the worst medical practice I've ever encountered. A practice manager previously contacted me and confirmed the telephone line issues, helpfully addressing my concerns. Unfortunately, today (22-Nov-021 @14:57) - after numerous attempts using option 1 to book an appointment, I'm greeted with the standard "all lines are busy, please call later" message, and the call disconnects. No queuing option exists. I managed to speak with someone at the surgery who explained the situation was due to fully occupied lines. Seriously? Six lines at full capacity during 3-4 different times? They must be an incredibly busy practice. July-2023 - Completely ineffective booking system I completed the form and received a text message with a booking link, but the most infuriating part is the complete lack of available appointments when clicking the link. My fundamental questions are: 1) Does the surgery believe a patient's sole purpose is to continuously check this link for an appointment? If doctors are busy, so am I - I work full-time. 2) What happens in an urgent situation that doesn't warrant A&E but requires immediate attention? I've already spent 5 hours struggling to secure an appointment. I believe someone in the NHS has overthought this appointment booking process, which will absolutely not benefit patients. This will only increase patient stress. They should immediately discontinue this process. It's a total waste of NHS resources and time.

Friendly staff can't make up for terrible scheduling

Scheduling an appointment is a nightmare, and communication is nearly impossible. The front desk staff are delightful and accommodating. However, beyond their pleasant demeanor, the service falls short.

Terrible service at tennyson house medical practice

The quality of this medical practice has significantly deteriorated since Tennyson House Surgery merged with other facilities. Phone wait times are now excruciatingly long, typically ranging from 60 to 90 minutes, particularly during morning appointment booking hours. Their online booking platform is entirely ineffective, and the reception staff are discourteous. Unlike the previous friendly team, the new staff are remarkably unprofessional. Patient confidentiality appears to be non-existent; I was forced to discuss personal medical details about my menstrual cycle in a public area, with multiple male patients within earshot, as the receptionist adamantly refused to provide a private consultation space.

Terrible healthcare experience with uncaring medical staff

The scheduling process and communication lines are abysmal. The reception area completely lacks confidentiality, with patients' personal medical details exposed to everyone within earshot. Not a single physician demonstrates genuine concern for their patients, instead rapidly shuffling people off to "specialists" (who are equally indifferent) or immediately prescribing painkillers and antidepressants as a lazy catch-all solution. Medication seems to be printed out on a prescription slip before you've even finished explaining your symptoms. This medical practice is deplorable, though I fear such substandard care has become the norm across healthcare. The National Health Service has essentially collapsed.

Worst customer service ever frustrating phone experience

The phone system is absolutely ridiculous - it constantly claims to be occupied and disconnects my calls. I've been attempting to schedule an appointment for almost four days, and each time the call abruptly ends. What happened to being placed in a queue, or is that somehow too challenging for the receptionist to manage? This entire operation is completely laughable!

Great medical care with some booking challenges

Since the pandemic began, I've been receiving care here, so I can't compare to pre-Covid times. Overall, my experience has been positive. The healthcare assistants excel at blood draws, making me feel completely at ease - something other clinics struggle with when accessing my veins. Some doctors are outstanding, especially Dr Owen, who is incredibly attentive, thorough, and genuinely listens with kindness. Other physicians can seem hurried and less engaged. The reception staff are generally very helpful, though booking appointments remains challenging. The online system now allows me to schedule appointments two weeks in advance, which is an improvement. However, securing urgent consultations is still difficult, with morning phone queues often leaving patients as far back as 50th in line. I've encountered other GP practices that permit website bookings from 7am for same-day appointments, and I believe Chelmer Medical Partnership would greatly benefit from adopting a similar approach.