Patient Experience Summary

Appointment availability emerges as the dominant concern across feedback, with patients reporting severe difficulty securing consultations through phone booking systems that operate on restricted windows and consistently show no availability. Waiting experiences are frequently cited as problematic, encompassing both extended phone queue times before reaching reception and lengthy waits in practice facilities once appointments are obtained. Communication failures appear systemic, ranging from unresponsive phone lines and dropped calls to delayed prescription processing and administrative delays affecting patient care continuity.

Reception experience presents a mixed picture. While some patients praise courteous and helpful staff, others report dismissive, disrespectful, or condescending conduct that compounds frustration with access difficulties. Several reviews highlight issues with booking system dysfunction, including online platforms that are difficult to navigate and callback systems that fail to function as promised. Prescription service efficiency varies considerably, with some patients experiencing prompt processing while others report repeated delays and forgotten requests.

Positive feedback acknowledges exceptional clinical care from healthcare professionals, compassionate treatment during consultations, and a welcoming environment when patients do gain access. However, these strengths are substantially overshadowed by systemic access and communication challenges that leave many patients unable to obtain timely appointments or reach the practice by phone, creating significant barriers to receiving care.

Appointment

18.75 %
Bad

Reception

28.90 %
Bad

Cleanliness

52.30 %
Average

Care

45.67 %
Poor

Respect

31.20 %
Bad

Seen on time

22.15 %
Bad

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JW

Jake W. Google 3 years ago

Rating

Bad!

Riverside customer service is absolutely terrible

Riverside seems to exclusively hire staff with the most condescending attitudes imaginable. Attempt to interact politely with their front desk personnel, and you'll be met with nothing but disdain and a thoroughly dismissive demeanor.

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DD

Deborah D. Google 3 years ago

Rating

Bad!

Terrible service with no appointment scheduling options

Absolutely terrible service, the most unprofessional setup I've encountered. Their scheduling system is completely dysfunctional, and it's impossible to book a time slot. I was unable to attend today due to my work commitments.

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SK

Steve K. Google 3 years ago

Rating

Excellent!

Exceptional healthcare with zero hassle every time

Consistently top-notch care, absolutely zero issues, and seamless access to medical professionals every single time.

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AS

Amara S. Google 3 years ago

Rating

Bad!

Worst medical practice ever terrible service everywhere

This medical practice is absolutely the most dreadful I've encountered. The receptionist staff are incredibly discourteous and oblivious, seemingly dedicated to being as patronizing and miserable as humanly possible. Their answering machine message practically suggests patients should give up rather than seek help. You'll waste an entire morning queuing only to be told 'no appointments available' and instructed to email for prescription requests. Even when you finally get them to review a prescription, they consistently fail to forward it to the adjacent pharmacy, who are genuinely committed to helping patients. During my first pregnancy consultation, a male doctor's response to my announcement was a dismissive 'what do you want me to do about it?', which was mortifying. Similarly, when my sister experienced an early pregnancy loss, a doctor callously remarked 'it's not a big deal, it happens frequently', an utterly insensitive comment that deeply hurt her. I genuinely cannot identify a single positive aspect about this practice. They desperately require significant improvements, potentially starting with replacing the entire reception team and implementing comprehensive medical staff sensitivity training. An absolute zero out of ten experience - I'm actively searching for a new surgery.

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M(

Matt (. Google 3 years ago

Rating

Bad!

Terrible service and endless waiting on hold

Getting a booking at this place is a nightmare. You waste nearly an hour on the phone starting first thing in the morning, only to discover they have zero availability.

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RS

Rosalyn S. Google 3 years ago

Rating

Bad!

Frustrating wait times ruin healthcare experience

Scheduling is an absolute nightmare here. Every time I try to book a slot, it's like hitting a brick wall. Impossible to get through, and when you do, the available times are completely inconvenient. Truly frustrating experience that makes me want to look elsewhere for service.

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AA

Ash A. Google 3 years ago

Rating

Bad!

Worst medical experience ever terrible healthcare service

Absolutely dreadful medical clinic! The front desk staff are incredibly unpleasant and miserable, constantly breaching patient confidentiality and offering zero assistance. The doctor seems completely clueless, repeatedly asking me to diagnose my own condition and defaulting to the lazy recommendation of "just take paracetamol." I've never encountered such unprofessional healthcare service before 👎🏻

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TH

Tom H. Google 3 years ago

Rating

Bad!

Worst customer experience ever terrible service

Absolutely dreadful customer experience. The staff at the front desk were incredibly discourteous. I was repeatedly left waiting on the phone. Scheduling is consistently disorganized, with appointments running far behind.

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CS

Chris S. Google 3 years ago

Rating

Bad!

Terrible first impression at this medical office

Unwelcoming front desk staff with a terrible attitude. Made me feel uncomfortable from the moment I arrived. Clearly not interested in providing any customer service or making guests feel welcome. Definitely not a place I'd recommend if you value being treated with basic respect.

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JW

Julie W. Google 3 years ago

Rating

Bad!

Riverside healthcare fails patients with poor service

I've been a loyal patient at riverside my entire life. However, over the past four years, securing an in-person medical consultation has become incredibly challenging. When I recently called to schedule an appointment, I was dismissively instructed to use Google's online booking system. The digital process required me to complete a lengthy form that took 45 exhausting minutes to fill out - an especially difficult task for someone with dyslexia. I even explained to the receptionist that I had received a letter requesting me to book an appointment for blood work, yet she still insisted I use the online platform.

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FQ

Faizan Q. Google 3 years ago

Rating

Bad!

Terrible service and zero medical help

Hey folks, steer clear of this place - it's absolutely useless. When you try to schedule an appointment, they constantly dodge you with vague promises like "we'll get back to you tomorrow morning" - promises that never materialize. They should seriously consider shutting down this medical practice because they're completely ineffective. These staff members are just collecting paychecks without doing any actual work.

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SH

Stuart H. Google 3 years ago

Rating

Excellent!

Frustrating wait but overall excellent medical care

I've been a loyal patient at Riverside Medical centre for quite some time, and I can confidently say that the staff - from receptionists to nurses and doctors - have consistently provided top-notch service. While I acknowledge that the sit and wait system is frustrating, I understand their predicament given the significant number of regular appointments that go unattended each month. Three years post-Covid-19 Lockdown, I recently attempted to schedule an appointment and found myself in a queue of 32 people. After enduring a 55-minute wait, I was ultimately informed that all daily appointments were fully booked, and I was advised to retry calling the next morning at 8am.

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JL

Joanne L. Google 4 years ago

Rating

Excellent!

Exceptional medical care beyond my highest expectations

Absolutely top-notch surgical team that I've encountered. Every single aspect of their service is impeccable, and I have zero complaints. Truly exceptional.

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AW

Alex W. Google 4 years ago

Rating

Excellent!

Lifesaving service beyond expectations in urgent moment

Recently found myself without my medication while traveling. Immense gratitude to the receptionists and Riversides pharmacists for swiftly arranging my prescription to be transferred 400 miles away to a local pharmacist in under 15 minutes. Given the current NHS staffing challenges and limited plans for expanding GP practices to match the area's rapid population growth, I'm concerned about potential increased pressure on healthcare services. However, based on my personal experience since my diagnosis and throughout the COVID period, I genuinely couldn't be more satisfied with their support. Heartfelt thanks to the entire team!

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KL

Katharine L. Google 4 years ago

Rating

Excellent!

Riverside medical centre truly exceptional patient care

I've been coming to this medical practice for nearly two decades, with my children also receiving ongoing treatment. The reception team is exceptional - they're consistently helpful and endure significant patient frustration. While the phone lines can be extremely congested, making appointments challenging due to my work schedule, the overall care is outstanding. The physicians and nursing staff, especially Dr. Nayyar, are truly remarkable. They demonstrate genuine compassion, profound medical expertise, and actually pay attention to patient concerns. I previously switched from another practice, but I'm completely satisfied with the care provided at Riverside. The pharmacy personnel are equally delightful. I would wholeheartedly recommend this surgery to anyone, though I do think improving the online booking system would be beneficial. The primary inconvenience remains the appointment scheduling process. Despite this, it remains an excellent medical facility.

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SS

Sarah S. Google 4 years ago

Rating

Bad!

Worst customer service ever, absolutely unacceptable

I rang the medical office seeking my test outcomes and found myself positioned 13th in line. After enduring a grueling 28-minute wait, they abruptly terminated the call the moment they picked up! Frustrated, I attempted to reconnect, only to discover I was once more 13th in the queue, confronting another interminable delay. The entire experience was absolutely unacceptable and completely unprofessional.

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GN

Gillian N. Google 4 years ago

Rating

Great!

Friendly staff makes medical visits a breeze

The front desk staff are incredibly accommodating, and nearly all of the physicians provide exceptional care.

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DT

Darren T. Google 4 years ago

Rating

Bad!

Terrible service driving patients to emergency rooms

Medical practice is a complete disaster. They only handle phone consultations, refuse face-to-face appointments, and the reception staff are incredibly unhelpful. It's no surprise patients are forced to use emergency services instead. This approach is fundamentally broken and clearly not serving patient needs.

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JO

Jennifer O. Google 4 years ago

Rating

Poor!

Endless waiting and confusing customer service nightmare

Incredible how I remained on hold for 40 minutes, starting as caller number 29 and mysteriously regressing to caller number 21! This is completely ridiculous. Their handling of customer service is utterly unacceptable and demonstrates a total lack of professionalism. 🙄🙄

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KB

Karolina B. Google 4 years ago

Rating

Bad!

Terrible customer service from disrespectful phone staff

The female staff handling phone calls display an unpleasant and offensive demeanor. I strongly advise against engaging with this service. I urge others to document and report the inappropriate conduct of these representatives.

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About the GP

  • Accepts all feedback, both positive and negative.

Contact Information

  • 01977 554831
  • Riverside Medical Centre Savile Road Castleford West Yorkshire WF10 1PH

Patient Experience Summary

Appointment availability emerges as the dominant concern across feedback, with patients reporting severe difficulty securing consultations through phone booking systems that operate on restricted windows and consistently show no availability. Waiting experiences are frequently cited as problematic, encompassing both extended phone queue times before reaching reception and lengthy waits in practice facilities once appointments are obtained. Communication failures appear systemic, ranging from unresponsive phone lines and dropped calls to delayed prescription processing and administrative delays affecting patient care continuity.

Reception experience presents a mixed picture. While some patients praise courteous and helpful staff, others report dismissive, disrespectful, or condescending conduct that compounds frustration with access difficulties. Several reviews highlight issues with booking system dysfunction, including online platforms that are difficult to navigate and callback systems that fail to function as promised. Prescription service efficiency varies considerably, with some patients experiencing prompt processing while others report repeated delays and forgotten requests.

Positive feedback acknowledges exceptional clinical care from healthcare professionals, compassionate treatment during consultations, and a welcoming environment when patients do gain access. However, these strengths are substantially overshadowed by systemic access and communication challenges that leave many patients unable to obtain timely appointments or reach the practice by phone, creating significant barriers to receiving care.

Appointment

18.75 %
Bad

Reception

28.90 %
Bad

Cleanliness

52.30 %
Average

Care

45.67 %
Poor

Respect

31.20 %
Bad

Seen on time

22.15 %
Bad
Filter

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