Riverside Surgery

Poor care and management at this practice

I have had a disappointing experience at this practice. The standard of care and management fell short of what I would have expected.

Caring staff but disappointed by new building changes

The clinical staff and nursing team are lovely and demonstrate genuine care. The reception team and pharmacy staff are equally helpful and supportive. We recognise this is a challenging period for everyone. Thank you for your commitment and hard work. Following recent changes, the practice has introduced private services for certain specialties. The service quality in the new location has declined significantly. We have since transferred elsewhere. This is disappointing.

Receptionist hung up during appointment request call

Called to arrange an appointment and was informed I would receive a callback either the same day or the following day. I mentioned that a specific time would be helpful as I might be in a public location and preferred not to discuss personal matters there. The receptionist ended the call. I waited for the callback on both days but it never came. When I called back, I experienced a considerable wait time to get through. I was then told that no appointment request had been recorded. I can only assume that the initial request was not properly documented. I'm relieved that the situation resolved itself without further complications.

Felt truly listened to during appointment

I attended an appointment on a Saturday morning. The clinician I saw is an excellent doctor who always listens carefully, takes a thorough history and explains the diagnosis and appropriate treatment clearly.

Pharmacy team responded quickly and showed genuine care

I would just like to express my sincere gratitude to the pharmacy team members who provided my daughter with exceptional care and respect during our visit today. When I brought my daughter in with what appeared to be an infection, I cannot thank them enough for the support and assistance they offered to both of us. The speed of their response was truly outstanding, and their calm and composed approach was incredibly reassuring to me as a concerned parent. The level of respect and professionalism they demonstrated was outstanding, and my daughter received wonderful care throughout. I am forever appreciative of the help provided by the pharmacy staff on the day. Thank you so much xxxxx

Surgery visit felt smooth from start to finish

My wife underwent hand surgery today and from the moment we arrived at Riverside Surgery until we left, the entire experience was excellent. The surgical team and their assistant were lovely and very kind. I would have no hesitation in recommending the minor surgery services here, thank you.

Polite staff sorted my issue quickly

I cannot commend this practice highly enough. From the courteous reception staff to the swift resolution of my concern, I am thoroughly satisfied with the comprehensive service provided. Much appreciated.

Long wait for appointment slots

It takes approximately a month to secure an appointment at this practice.

Appointment booking left me without care

If you're looking to secure an appointment, you may want to consider your options before registering with this practice. As a former patient who has since returned and registered temporarily, I found that the available appointment slots extended beyond my temporary registration period, which meant I was unable to receive care. My previous experience at this practice was also unsatisfactory. The reception staff I spoke with came across as indifferent and unhelpful. This experience reflects broader concerns about how the NHS is currently operating.

Long wait for results and distant appointment location

Have been waiting for blood test results and attempted to schedule an appointment to discuss them. Was informed that an in-person visit would require travelling to another location. Eventually managed to secure a telephone consultation, though there was a considerable wait of several weeks before the appointment could be arranged. Found the overall process frustrating.

Receptionist helped solve pharmacy problem quickly

I appreciate the receptionist who made an extra effort this evening to help resolve an issue involving the pharmacy.

Couldn't get through for three weeks

Since around 2020, the practice has deteriorated significantly. Obtaining appointments has become increasingly difficult. After a considerable wait of several weeks, I was eventually offered a telephone consultation, though the clinician did not make contact as scheduled. The practice was previously of a high standard. The overall experience has become poor across all areas, including the dispensary services.

Impossible to book an appointment here

It's very difficult to obtain appointment slots at this practice.

Couldn't get through on the phone

It wasn't a particularly satisfactory experience.

Conflicting diagnoses and dismissive phone responses

I was quite disappointed with my experience. I had two telephone consultations with a member of the urgent care team. On both occasions, I was asked to provide photographs. The first consultation resulted in one diagnosis, while the second consultation led to a different diagnosis. I was informed of the second opinion via text message from the healthcare professional. Given how substantially different the two assessments were, I felt it necessary to call back and request a discussion with the clinician involved. However, I was informed they were unavailable, and I was advised that if I had concerns about the second assessment, I should contact the out-of-hours service once the surgery had closed. I found this response frustrating and felt it fell short of the standard of care I would have expected.

Reception staff dismissive of patient safety concerns

My wife, who is a patient at this practice, experienced a serious health event at home recently. However, she feels anxious about attending appointments here because of a previous experience with medication that she believes caused her significant harm. She has expressed serious concerns about the quality of care provided at this practice.

Reception staff didn't listen to my concerns

The receptionist was quite rude and aggressive, displaying poor manners and interrupting during our conversation. They were unwilling to listen to my concerns regarding an issue with my appointment scheduling. Unfortunately, this seems to be reflective of a broader pattern I've observed among some staff members in NHS settings. This is disappointing.

Phone screening blocked urgent appointment access

This practice does not appear to be improving. I called today to attempt booking an appointment for what seemed like a serious chest infection. Despite having difficulty speaking, I was questioned by someone who was not a doctor and told to ring back at 8am the following day. In contrast, regarding vaccinations I have received multiple invitations over the past month. This appears to be because the practice receives payment for delivering this service. It seems unfortunate that the same level of attention is not given to patients who are unwell. I am switching practices as my husband's practice was able to see him within half an hour of his call and provided him with the appropriate medication.

Long waits for serious health concerns

The service simply isn't meeting expectations. For anything significant, you're asked to wait several weeks, which doesn't feel appropriate.

Results lost between hospital and surgery

I recently contacted the surgery regarding an ultrasound scan I had undergone and was informed that the results had not yet been received. When I followed up directly with the facility where the scan was performed, I was told that the results had been transmitted to the surgery on the same day as the procedure. There appears to be a discrepancy between what the surgery stated and what the scanning facility indicated regarding whether the results were actually delivered.