Seaside Medical Centre

Getting through takes persistence but it's worth it

Obtaining an appointment can sometimes prove challenging, though persistence with follow-up calls typically results in securing a slot. The clinical team and administrative staff have consistently provided excellent service.

Couldn't get through on the phone this morning

I found it extremely frustrating to reach the practice throughout the morning, and I was disappointed that they were unable to find time to assess my young child.

Busy surgery improved with sit and wait option

This practice operates at high capacity and has made considerable progress since the pandemic began. I experienced difficulties obtaining appointments in previous years and eventually contacted the surgery to express my concerns about this issue. Following my communication, the clinic implemented an option for walk-in urgent cases, which has proven beneficial. Overall, the team members have been supportive and accommodating. I appreciate the improvements that have been made.

Email notification arrived far too late

My spouse got an email from the practice about a complimentary health coaching service scheduled for a specific time slot today. However, the message didn't come through until late in the evening. The timing of the notification felt quite delayed for the appointment window mentioned. Unfortunately timed!

Reception and staff were genuinely caring

We are new patients, both my son and myself, and we have been very satisfied with our experience at this surgery. The entire team, from the front desk through to the clinical staff, demonstrated professionalism and compassion, which has been a welcome change for us. However, we did encounter a limitation with the appointment system. When we unexpectedly found ourselves at another location and were unable to attend a scheduled blood donation appointment at 11, we discovered that there was no option to cancel the appointment through the online system, which caused some inconvenience.

Quick appointment booking made easy

People often criticise general practice services, but I had an excellent experience at this medical centre today. I called in the morning and was offered an appointment just two hours later, with a follow-up procedure arranged for a couple of weeks ahead. The clinician I saw was both professional and approachable, and the reception staff were equally pleasant and helpful. They're clearly doing well and deserve recognition for their efforts :)

Caring practice despite tricky appointment booking

I have been a patient at my local medical centre for nearly 10 years now, and I want to express how satisfied I have been with the care provided. I feel well supported by the clinical staff there, who demonstrate good knowledge and genuine attentiveness to the concerns I bring to my appointments. The administrative team, both at reception and behind the scenes, are consistently considerate and supportive. Of course, no service is without its challenges, and appointment scheduling can sometimes be demanding. However, I do not feel my practice performs any worse than other surgeries in the current climate, given the high volume of patients and finite resources available. I genuinely value the online consultation system offered, as well as the callback feature that allows me to step out of the phone queue without losing my position. The practice environment itself is clean and well-organised, providing a calm and pleasant atmosphere while waiting to be seen.

Reception staff could listen better

I had a disappointing interaction with a member of the reception team during a recent visit. The staff member appeared dismissive and seemed more focused on ending the conversation quickly rather than properly addressing my concerns. Their approach felt rushed and unhelpful, which left me frustrated with the level of service provided. I would hope the practice could work on improving the professionalism and attentiveness of their reception staff, as this experience fell well short of what I would expect.

Reception gave misleading information about hospital transport

I had a deeply disappointing experience with this GP practice regarding my mother's care. I felt that the initial assessment was inaccurate, and my mother's condition continued to deteriorate without adequate in-person evaluation. When we were informed that transport to hospital would be arranged, this did not materialise as expected. I was also concerned about a subsequent change to my mother's respiratory medication, which I believed was ineffective and inappropriate for her needs. Overall, I found the standard of care to be inadequate and would suggest considering alternative healthcare providers if possible.

Couldn't get through after repeated calling attempts

I made numerous attempts to reach the practice within a single hour before finally getting through to a recorded message indicating I was twentieth in the queue. The next update informed me that all available appointments had been allocated. I was unable to secure an appointment with a doctor or nurse, and instead was offered an appointment with a healthcare assistant, which I found disappointing. I felt frustrated with the level of service and the staffing decisions made by the practice, and believe the quality of care fell short of acceptable standards.

Caring surgery that listens to your health needs

A thoughtful and efficiently run practice that demonstrates strong attention to comprehensive patient wellbeing across all areas of healthcare.

Phone callers deprioritised over walk-in patients

I called the practice seeking an appointment. Despite being advised to call, I found that walk-in patients appeared to be prioritised over those phoning ahead. I requested an urgent same-day appointment for my young child who was displaying concerning symptoms including fever and a rash, and seemed quite poorly. The practice declined to see them and directed me to attend the emergency department instead. After spending an hour waiting there, my child was assessed by a nurse rather than a doctor, who advised that the condition appeared to be viral in nature and suggested going home. Subsequently, my child developed a serious complication requiring an extended recovery period. I felt disappointed that my child was not seen by the practice when presenting with these symptoms, and I am concerned about the decision-making process used to triage telephone requests for urgent appointments. I intend to pursue this matter further.

Impossible to book an appointment here

If you're registered with this practice, attempting to obtain an appointment when unwell proves extremely challenging and time-consuming.

Long phone waits, turned away without appointment

I waited for thirty minutes trying to reach someone on the phone. When they finally answered, I was told they were fully booked for the day and advised to either contact the out-of-hours service or return on Monday. Over the course of two weeks, I made multiple attempts to get through to my practice without success. On one occasion, I called at 8:30am and remained on hold for forty minutes, only to be informed that appointments were not available that day.

Surgery offered quick walk-in appointment when needed

Following a cancelled phone consultation, I was concerned about obtaining medical care before the holiday period. The practice contacted me to offer an in-person appointment on a walk-in basis, advising that waiting times could be up to an hour. I decided to attend the following morning and was seen within 30 minutes. The clinician was compassionate and understanding, providing me with a prescription. I'm hopeful that thanks to this responsive service, I'll be in good health for the festive season.

Impossible to get through on the phone queue

I attempted to contact the practice on multiple consecutive mornings at 8.30 and found myself placed far back in the telephone queue each time. After waiting approximately 30 minutes to speak with someone, I received the same response on each occasion—that no appointments were available. I was then directed to attend the surgery in person at 8.30, which felt like an unreasonable expectation. The staff interactions felt dismissive and unwelcoming, which seems at odds with the practice's own messaging about respectful communication. The overall process of trying to access an appointment felt unnecessarily complicated and frustrating. The current appointment system appears outdated and unsustainable. It would be beneficial for the practice to modernise its approach to scheduling and patient access, as the existing model no longer meets contemporary expectations.

Friendly receptionists help when lines are busy

Yes, you won't get through at the start of the day but show me a surgery where you can. But ring a little bit later and friendly receptionists will always find something for you, whether that's a phone consultation or an appointment at the practice, which is better than nothing. Friendly, family-oriented surgery.

Medication requests repeatedly delayed and forgotten

This practice has been extremely disappointing. On a previous occasion, there was a significant delay in processing a prescription request to the pharmacy, taking considerably longer than expected. When I submitted another request well in advance this time, the medication still failed to arrive when needed, leaving me without my essential treatment. This level of service regarding prescription management is unacceptable and has negatively impacted my healthcare.

Phone lines constantly busy, appointments disappear quickly

Calling at 8.30 often results in encountering a busy line and being unable to connect. When you do get through, you may find yourself far down the queue, only to discover that available appointments have already been allocated by the time it reaches your turn. The receptionist can come across as unwelcoming and dismissive. Obtaining prescriptions appears to be a lengthy process requiring multiple follow-up calls to progress matters. The practice seems to have a high patient load relative to the number of appointment slots available. When urgent medical attention is needed, attending hospital becomes necessary, which involves substantial waiting times. The combination of perceived unfriendliness from reception staff, limited appointment availability, and the protracted nature of prescription management makes this surgery a challenging experience to navigate.

Impossible to get an appointment when needed

I'm reluctant to criticise GP surgeries given the pressures they face, but this practice genuinely needs to improve. Accessing an appointment with a GP is extremely difficult. I've been a patient for over a year without successfully seeing one face-to-face. When I needed urgent care today, I was unable to get support. There appear to be no meaningful appointment systems in place, yet the practice regularly contacts patients via text message, seemingly to demonstrate they're providing ongoing care monitoring. It feels frustrating and ineffective. The whole system feels broken. I subsequently contacted NHS 111, who assessed my situation and determined I required medical attention within two hours, arranging for a callback. It shouldn't have required this additional step to speak to a healthcare professional given how unwell I felt. I received a generic response rather than a personalised one.