Eden Medical Group

Phone queue kept cutting me off

I have been attempting to secure a telephone appointment for the third consecutive morning. Each time I call shortly after opening, I find myself positioned reasonably well in the queue, never dropping below twentieth place. On this particular occasion, I managed to reach second in the queue before the call was disconnected.

Shocked to discover I'm no longer registered

Called the practice today and was informed that my registration had been removed, which came as a complete shock.

Staff could explain processes more clearly

I understand the practice faces significant pressures, however I felt that staff across all departments could be more proactive in communicating with patients. The lack of clarity around procedures meant I experienced lengthy waits for outcomes and found myself needing to make repeated contact to get answers. Obtaining basic information proved unnecessarily difficult. Overall, I felt the patient experience could be better organised and managed.

Quick phone appointment sorted my medication

Phoned in the morning for a telephone appointment and received a call back that same afternoon. The clinician took time to listen to my concerns and helped resolve my medication issues. Everything went smoothly.

System issues left me without answers

Had an appointment this morning and was asked to schedule a follow-up for later in the week. The reception staff mentioned there were technical difficulties with their system and suggested calling back at a later time. When I called back as instructed, I was unable to reach anyone. I'm disappointed with how matters have progressed at this practice. The situation remains unresolved and I've only received medication to last until my next scheduled appointment.

Long wait on phone, no appointments available

Extremely disappointing experience. Attempted to contact the practice early in the morning but experienced lengthy wait times on the phone with no available slots. When I attended an urgent care facility, I was advised to arrange an appointment with my GP, though none were accessible for over a week. I am currently seeking alternative healthcare provision.

Unhelpful and frustrating experience overall

Not satisfactory and did not provide the assistance needed.

Phone staff dismissive when hearing difficulties mentioned

1 star because I can't give a 0... 35 years with this practice and it just gets worse. Yet another unpleasant experience on the phone again today. The staff member was quite dismissive and indicated they would end the call. I had difficulty hearing due to some hearing challenges, which appeared to frustrate them. This is no longer acceptable, I'm at the point where I'd rather avoid contacting my practice altogether. Ended up with a referral to the pharmacy...

Receptionist politeness makes up for appointment struggles

I've consistently found the reception team to be courteous and accommodating. While appointment availability can be challenging, it's important to acknowledge that this isn't a reflection of their efforts, given the substantial patient list and the reduced number of clinical staff currently working at the practice. I transferred from another surgery which I felt was poorly run, and this practice has been considerably better in that regard. Throughout my time as a patient here, spanning a couple of years, the clinical team has generally demonstrated genuine care and patience. However, I did have a recent appointment with a nurse practitioner whose approach fell short of these standards. Despite this single experience, I remain impressed with the practice overall and the quality of care provided by most of the team.

Receptionist turned away without offering alternatives

My husband attempted to book an appointment today to address a health concern and review some test findings. Following a 30-minute wait, he was informed that no slots were available that day or the following day, and was advised to contact the practice again on Monday, which was several days later. He was also told that no clinicians were currently available to see patients and that there were no alternative options available. This appears to be a recurring issue at this surgery. The reception staff have been unhelpful on previous occasions, calls often go unanswered, appointment availability is limited, and clinician availability is frequently an issue. The overall standard of service has been disappointing.

Receptionists gave conflicting information about medication

The reception team fell short of expectations when I needed urgent medication support. I received inconsistent information from different staff members, and felt that my concerns were not properly heard or addressed.

Impossible to book an appointment here

It was very difficult to secure an appointment at this practice. When I called, I was informed that advance bookings are not available and that there is no longer a specific time to call back. Instead, I was told that appointments are released on a first-come, first-served basis, but staff were unable to provide guidance on when to ring. This lack of clarity about the appointment system was frustrating.

Long phone queues make appointments impossible

I experienced considerable frustration with the appointment booking process. When I called early in the morning, I found myself waiting a significant time in the queue despite calling promptly. I questioned whether the reception staffing levels were adequate to manage demand. I felt disappointed given my long-standing contributions through the tax and national insurance system, and felt the service fell short of expectations. This was not an isolated incident, and on subsequent occasions when I called during designated times, no appointments were available. I have decided to consider switching to a different practice. While I recognise the clinical care may be of high quality, the difficulty in securing appointments undermines the overall value of the service.

Phone queue made appointment impossible

I attempted to contact the surgery in the morning and experienced significant difficulty reaching someone. After finally getting through following numerous attempts, I was placed in a queue for an extended period only to learn that no appointments were available. I found this experience to be extremely frustrating and feel the surgery's accessibility and appointment availability require substantial improvement.

Rude receptionists made me feel unwelcome

What a disappointing experience at this surgery. I found the reception staff to be rather unhelpful and dismissive in their manner.

Appointment cancelled while in pain, told to go elsewhere

A young patient was given an appointment while experiencing significant pain, only to have it cancelled due to scheduling delays. When contacting the practice to discuss this, the patient was advised to attend an emergency department instead. The manner in which this guidance was communicated during the phone call was felt to be unhelpful and dismissive. This experience fell well short of expected standards of care and support.

Receptionist was unhelpful and unwelcoming

The receptionist's demeanor was quite negative and unhelpful during my interaction.

Impossible to book an appointment by phone

Attempting to book an appointment through the phone system proves frustrating, as calling at opening time results in long wait times in the queue before finally connecting. Once you do get through, the available slots have typically already been filled.

Couldn't get through on the phone line

Absolutely a joke this practice. Today tried ringing them and just got an engaged tone.

Phone queue system needs urgent improvement

It took numerous attempts this morning just to get through to the practice, and after waiting over 40 minutes to speak with someone, I was told to call back the following day. Having struggled with sleep and appetite for a week, I ended up needing hospital care instead. The appointment booking system needs significant improvement as the current process is extremely frustrating.