Eden Medical Group

Couldn't get an appointment despite calling daily

The customer service experience was quite poor. Getting an appointment proved very difficult, as calling each morning did not result in securing one.

Appointment booking takes far too long

Obtaining an appointment at this practice takes considerably longer than one might hope for.

Poor communication and long waiting times

Among the less satisfactory medical practices encountered in the country.

Promised phone appointment never arrived

I'm not sure where to begin. I understand the service faces significant pressures, but it would be helpful if commitments were honoured as stated. Following a hospital visit, I was informed that a follow-up appointment would take nearly two weeks to arrange. A telephone consultation was presented as an alternative, which would have been available sooner at around nine days. I was given a specific time for a call to be made. The next morning at 8am, I had still not received it. This was quite disappointing.

Phone appointment cancelled without warning or call

Had a phone appointment scheduled for 4:40pm regarding my daughter, and the clinician simply did not call as arranged. This medical practice is extremely frustrating 😡😡😡 The phone lines are rarely answered and when someone does pick up, the service is quite poor. I was given one set of instructions but then something different happened. I spoke with a clinician on Thursday and was instructed to call back on Friday to book an appointment for Monday for my daughter. The process of trying to arrange this through reception staff was unnecessarily difficult and stressful.

Reception staff handled the chaos well

Unless you woke up dead 😅 Stop complaining...some people are writing a whole essay to moan..ring 111 or visit A&E / CHOC if urgent. Get a grip, most NHS staff are overworked and underpaid, on top of that they have a bunch of unhappy complaining people on here..putting them down, should be ashamed of yourselves. Keep up the good work 👏

Couldn't get through on the phone line

I have been attempting to secure an appointment for the past couple of hours, however my phone calls have gone unanswered throughout this time.

Impossible to reach by phone for appointments

I have had a frustrating experience trying to reach this practice. After multiple attempts to contact them over several days to arrange an appointment, I was unable to get through. When I visited in person, I was informed that I would need to continue attempting to call. The accessibility of their appointment booking system has been disappointing.

Quick phone consultation and hospital referral arranged

I have consistently received outstanding service from this practice. The entire team demonstrates professionalism, helpfulness and a friendly manner. I was especially pleased with the efficiency shown during a recent period, when I received a consultation and was referred to hospital services within the same week.

Impossible to reach and dismissive when you do

The service here is extremely frustrating. It takes an exceptionally long time to reach someone, and once you do manage to get through, you're often told there are no available appointments. The process involves submitting images and then waiting considerable periods to receive feedback without feeling like the issue has been properly examined. When describing problems with treatment effectiveness, the response seems to involve asking for your own suggestions rather than providing professional guidance. Overall, the experience has been deeply disappointing.

Long phone waits and rude reception staff

Extremely disappointing experience with the practice. I contacted them last week regarding my young child's eye infection after experiencing a lengthy wait to get through. I felt the manner in which I was spoken to when asking questions was unacceptable. My child was then added to a waiting list, and it took several hours before a clinician returned my call. Today, my child developed a rash across their body, so I attended the surgery in person as I was reluctant to repeat the previous phone interaction. I was offered a telephone appointment for late morning, but several hours have now passed and I am still awaiting the call. When I followed up in the early afternoon, reception indicated the doctor was attempting to reach me. Overall, this has been a very unsatisfactory experience with the practice, and I would not recommend them.

Morning phone lines impossible to reach for same day appointments

We have to call in the morning from 8am if we want an appointment on the day but the reception team don't answer the phones. I get put on hold for half an hour and still can't get through as I have school commitments. My mam rings in the afternoon and gets told they can't do anything about it, but they're the ones not answering the phone. The service from staff has been terrible. I also rang this morning at 8 with no answer, so had to drive there only to be told there were no more appointments available, and it was only 9. I would have got an appointment on the same day if they had answered the phone. I rang again hoping to speak to someone different and thankfully I did, because the receptionist I spoke to first was unhelpful, so I eventually got an appointment. During a recent consultation, I attended with a significant health concern and was in considerable discomfort. I felt the clinician was dismissive of my symptoms and didn't provide the treatment I felt was necessary. I was given the impression they were in a hurry to finish and was rushed to make a decision, which I found rude. I subsequently contacted NHS 111 for advice and was told I needed medication. When I visited the pharmacy, the staff expressed concern about the severity of my condition, which made me feel that my initial consultation had not been taken seriously enough.

Reception staff could improve their manner

The reception staff could benefit from improved communication skills when interacting with patients. While I understand that dealing with difficult situations can be challenging, it's important to treat each person as an individual rather than making assumptions. This isn't the kind of experience you'd hope for when contacting a medical practice. That said, once you manage to secure an appointment, the clinical care provided by the medical team is generally satisfactory.

Reception staff dismissed urgent post-operative wound care

The surgery has been extremely disappointing following my discharge from hospital after a procedure. I was advised by the hospital that I needed to arrange an appointment with a nurse the next day to have my wound checked, and this was required to happen within 24 hours of leaving hospital. After considerable difficulty getting through, I spoke with a receptionist who came across as dismissive and unhelpful. When I explained that I needed an urgent appointment with a nurse that day, I was told no slots were available and there was nothing that could be done, aside from asking if anyone might be able to squeeze me in. The call was then ended abruptly. There was no compassion shown whatsoever, and I found it deeply concerning that patients could potentially be left vulnerable to complications due to what felt like a lack of understanding from reception staff about the importance of timely post-operative care. I would not recommend this practice.

Couldn't get through on the phone

Not a worthwhile visit.

Easier to skip the appointment queue

It was more straightforward to go directly to the emergency department rather than attempting to secure an appointment at this practice.

Reception staff repeatedly misunderstand patient requests

Where do I even start? Seriously, where do I start? First, it seems the surgery doesn't take patient feedback seriously. If they did, many of these reviews wouldn't exist because numerous people are reporting the same concerns. It's unfortunate because with some staff development, genuine improvements could happen. The issues aren't major—it's the smaller things that would make a real difference to how patients are treated. The surgery really ought to pay attention to what patients are saying. If I listed every problem I've experienced, you'd be reading this for hours. So I'll focus on the main concerns. The reception team appears unclear about their responsibilities. I've had to repeatedly explain straightforward matters regarding my prescriptions, only for them to be misunderstood. Several times I've clarified what I need, only to have it overlooked. I submitted a formal complaint about the service my family member and I received from a healthcare practitioner three months ago, expecting a manager to contact me. After four weeks with no response, I followed up to remind them. I'm still waiting to hear anything. The situation involved the practitioner contacting my relative directly despite my being their carer and explaining three times that day that my relative couldn't attend without my support. The practitioner's approach on the phone call—the tone and persistence—was upsetting and unprofessional, causing my relative significant distress that took days to recover from. How unprofessional and disrespectful is that? To upset someone like that, especially after being told repeatedly by their carer that it wouldn't be possible? I doubt this review will prompt any contact about my complaint. I'm genuinely reluctant to leave negative feedback, but this surgery makes it difficult not to. I'd suggest looking elsewhere. Though from other reviews, alternatives aren't necessarily better. There's a lack of dignity and respect, and the attitude of staff I've encountered falls well short of acceptable. If your wellbeing matters to you, I'd reconsider using this practice.

Long wait but professional and thorough care

Yes, I did have to wait around 20 minutes to get through, but the healthcare professional I saw was extremely professional and thorough in their examination. Thank you very much.

Practice listened and supported through illness

We relocated to Carlisle approximately a year ago and selected this practice as our local healthcare provider. The care we have received has been outstanding, with excellent support during a period of significant illness and throughout the pandemic. The team and facilities have been consistently impressive.