The Riverside Health Ctr

A surgery in decline

This surgery was generally very good pre-Covid and pre the retirement of an experienced GP, though some of the receptionists could be a bit defensive to the point of rudeness at times. In the last few years though it has seen a decline in the level of service both in terms of how/if/when you can get an appointment, being able to gain access to GPs and the service it provides to the community. Most recently they have introduced a new online triage system that is frankly unhelpful and off-putting for those who are not always online. You can no longer use the NHS app to book appointments, which is odd as it seems no time at all since they were actively pushing for patients to use that instead of phoning up. The feeling as a patient from this new Amina(?) system is that almost anything is being done to avoid giving patients access to GPs. Ironically, when you do have an appointment the waiting room is never busy so perhaps the GPs are tied up in responding to the triage system instead of seeing patients. Due to the difficulties and delays in being able to see someone people are having to turn to 111 and the hospitals instead, which is not appropriate for many ailments/conditions. We are told to use pharmacies more but the local pharmacy presumably didn't get the memo on that as they are saying you need a GP appointment. The surgery is part of a group so maybe the policies they are working to are dictated by the group as a whole, but it is sadly meaning that this is a practice in decline. I just wish that they would return to being a bit more public-focused and accessible as when you do get to see someone they are generally very helpful. If not, and if this is indicative of how all GP surgeries are going then I fear for the future of GP surgeries. Maybe that system has had its day as if it is not accessible it ceases to perform a useful function.