Newcastle Medical Centre

Terrible wait for medical consultation

The administrative procedures at this medical centre are absolutely abysmal! Despite being in the UK for six months, I've been unable to secure a consultation due to their complete lack of phone responsiveness. It took intervention from my university's wellbeing department just to get them to answer calls, and when they finally did, they merely instructed me to call back the next day, claiming no available slots. My next potential consultation is a phone appointment in April, leaving me, an international student with chronic conditions, essentially without medical support in this city. The receptionists are incredibly unhelpful and dismissive, offering zero opportunity to explain my medical circumstances. I initially chose this centre purely out of geographical convenience and total inexperience, but I'm now determined to change GP practices. This has been the most disastrous healthcare decision I've ever made. Even in my home country - a developing nation - accessing medical care is far less challenging. To any international students reading this: absolutely do not register with this GP if you want any chance of receiving medical consultations.

Terrible service after endless unanswered calls

I've attempted to contact them 116 times without success. While searching for an alternative GP, I encountered the most disappointing experience I've ever had.

Phone line nightmare with rude receptionists

The phone service is absolutely dreadful, requiring over 60 futile attempts to establish a connection when they first open lines, assuming you even manage to get through. Moreover, by the time you do connect, available appointments are typically already booked. The staff at reception consistently display an unwarranted hostile attitude (and I want to emphasize that I always maintain the utmost politeness and have done nothing to provoke such treatment). To illustrate this, I once called seeking an emergency prescription after inadvertently missing my medication order deadline, and was met with harsh criticism - being lectured about my supposed irresponsibility and labeled as careless, despite approaching the matter courteously.

Phone line fails every single time

The telephone communication at this practice is abysmal. Calls come through with such poor quality that no sound is audible, yet they still manage to leave voicemails claiming you missed their contact. This isn't just my experience, but something several patients have encountered. One acquaintance even joked that his phone only fails to ring when the surgery attempts to call. And that's just the start of their reception problems. One of their doctors prescribed medication with a clear warning on the information leaflet against use by patients with my specific medical condition. It's completely unacceptable. My advice: avoid this practice if possible. I'm actively planning to switch as soon as my current treatment arrangement, which is currently tied to this specific GP location, allows me to do so.

Nasty staff blocking my important document

The front desk staff demonstrate appalling customer service, displaying a consistently hostile and obstructive attitude. Specifically, one employee has been actively harassing me and deliberately blocking my attempts to obtain a critical document I require.

Snarky receptionist ruined my first call

During my first interaction, the receptionist was unprofessional and mockingly laughed at me, insisting no appointments were available until 8am the following day. When I called again a few days later, I encountered a different receptionist who was helpful and offered me two appointment time options for the very next day. The appointment scheduling process is problematic, and based on my experience, only half of the receptionists provide satisfactory service.

Helpful doctors during covid lockdown

Despite the widespread tales of general practitioners distancing themselves from patients during COVID-19, this medical practice stood out by readily arranging in-person examinations and phone consultations. They efficiently addressed my health concern, thoroughly followed up on potential future issues, and demonstrated a commendable willingness to maintain direct patient contact even amid challenging pandemic circumstances.

Worst doctor visit ever at clinic

The staff at this practice come across as cold and disinterested, with my primary care physician consistently displaying an attitude that suggests she'd prefer to be anywhere except engaging with me during appointments.

Frustrating booking process every morning at 8am

I fully endorse the other one-star reviews shared by previous customers. Scheduling an appointment here is an absolute nightmare. I persistently tried calling at 8am every single morning for an entire week, yet consistently found zero available time slots. The personnel are discourteous, unhelpful, and completely lacking in any form of customer support 👎🏻

Blocked call and terrible phone attitude

This GP service in the North East is potentially the absolute worst. The administrative staff demonstrate a complete lack of call-handling skills, consistently interrupting patients while they attempt to explain their reasons for calling. They display an unwarranted rudeness, exhibit zero patience, and carry themselves with an arrogant, superior attitude during phone interactions (which should definitely be recorded moving forward). The medical practice's treatment of my situation was utterly disgraceful, particularly when they dropped my call and subsequently blocked my number while I was detailing a persistent medical concern to an admin staff member. After removing my caller ID, it was incredibly suspicious that my call suddenly went through. To summarize, I absolutely cannot recommend this practice - they are thoroughly unprofessional, consistently discourteous, and desperately require comprehensive retraining.

Quick prescription and friendly staff

I'm thoroughly satisfied with this medical practice. My prescription was processed with remarkable speed, being completed by the following day. Both the reception team and my doctor were exceptionally welcoming and pleasant.

Terrible customer service nightmare

Incredible! The phone support team is a complete embarrassment! Their lack of professionalism and basic courtesy is shocking - it's mind-boggling how they even secured employment. They desperately need comprehensive staff training and must learn to treat every customer with dignity, regardless of their background!

Terrible patient support that doesn't listen

Terrible experience with the Patient Care Coordinator! Their compassion is completely absent, and they always seem hurried and dismissive. Their communication style suggests they're eager to end the call as quickly as possible, showing zero genuine concern. They consistently fail to engage with patients and miss crucial chances to address and resolve issues effectively.

Worst front desk staff in town

Every single receptionist at this practice is discourteous. I've been coming here for three years, and without exception, the staff are consistently disrespectful and indifferent. They constantly interrupt, refuse to listen, and abruptly end phone calls while preventing me from providing any explanation. Moreover, every single appointment—whether with a nurse, doctor, or midwife—is always delayed.

Terrible service at Newcastle Medical Centre

Following the CQC's inspection in July, England's Chief Inspector of General Practice has placed the Newcastle Medical Centre in special measures. The inspection revealed the practice's care quality to be Inadequate, serving approximately 13,500 patients. Inspectors' ratings showed Good performance in safety and caring, Requires Improvement in responsiveness, and Inadequate in effectiveness and leadership, resulting in an overall Inadequate rating. My personal experience reveals a complete absence of patient empathy and understanding, with the practice seemingly failing to demonstrate basic patient care responsibilities. The Newcastle Medical Centre operates more like a business than a medical practice. The reception staff, particularly Phillip, demonstrate minimal competence in handling patient inquiries and supporting those genuinely needing medical assistance. Consequently, I have decided to change healthcare providers and have formally lodged complaints with both NHS UK and the CQC. I cannot recommend this medical centre to anyone. The staff appear poorly trained, working in a facility repeatedly identified as inadequate by the CQC. Despite multiple notices and years of criticism, they continue to fall short of acceptable standards. If they cannot manage fundamental staff training, how can they possibly expect to excel in more complex areas of healthcare delivery?

Mixed-up scheduling ruined my day

I strongly advise against using their services. On two separate occasions, I scheduled appointments, only to be informed on the day of each meeting that no such appointment was in their system, despite my prior arrangements.

Rude receptionist ruined my healthcare visit

If I could give this practice zero rating, I absolutely would. The only saving grace is the doctors, who are genuinely compassionate when you manage to connect with them. However, the receptionist I just interacted with is so appallingly unprofessional that I've been compelled to file an official complaint with NHS England. Her conduct is completely unacceptable in an environment serving individuals who are potentially fragile or unwell.

Caring nurse made my day better

I recognize that reviews tend to skew negative, so I'm choosing to share a positive experience and express gratitude to the NMC staff. The nurse who cared for me today was compassionate and provided incredible emotional support. Given the current challenging circumstances, these healthcare professionals are working tirelessly, and I felt compelled to acknowledge their dedication and kindness.

Rude doctor and staff left me hanging

Subpar healthcare experience. The physician, Dr. S Hassan, displays unprofessional behavior. During a phone consultation, he was significantly delayed by over three hours, offering no apology and instead coming across as aggressive and discourteous. I was instructed to submit medical images to the clinic, but received no response or follow-up consultation for more than a month. When I proactively sought resolution, I encountered additional frustration with the receptionist, who abruptly terminated the call after hastily scheduling an appointment. I absolutely cannot recommend this medical practice and am actively seeking alternative healthcare providers.