Rivermead Gate Med.Ctr. - Ratings and reviews
Reviews
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Review titled Incompetent Practise
Rated 1 star out of 5
by Anonymous - Posted on 10 April 2024
This is the worst GP you can find in Chelmsford. They messed my appointments multiple times, and on multiple occasions, I've had to return after my arrival because they were unable to fulfill their responsibilities. Additionally, the nurses are incompetent; they don't even know how to take your blood and simply turn you away, wasting your time by advising you to go to the hospital instead. Furthermore, booking an appointment takes an excessively long time. I strongly advise against choosing this GP
Visited March 2024
Rivermead Gate Med.Ctr. has not yet replied.
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Review titled Reception and booking
Rated 3 stars out of 5
by Viv - Posted on 06 June 2023
I am a frequent flyer for 8 weekly injections, and am notoriously poor at remembering to book these in advance of the actual week they are required. Once again I have just called they surgery (minimal wait less than 6 mins) to book an appointment. The receptionist, as always, was polite, professional and managed to secure me an appointment for Friday. So we are quick to moan but not so swift in saying thank you - so today I am taking the time to do just that.
Visited June 2023
Rivermead Gate Med.Ctr. has not yet replied.
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Review titled Disappointing Service
Rated 3 stars out of 5
by Anonymous - Posted on 19 June 2023
Called to make an appointment. Have done this on various occasions in the past and always, always, having to wait 30 minutes or more before getting through. Today it took 33 minutes to get answered and this was as a result of calling dead on 8am - BBC 1 time & Apple iPad time! I was 23 in the queue once I got through. Had to listen to irritating music until I was answered. Then, when I did get through, I was told all appointments with my doctor where taken! I only wanted a telephone conversation, not a face to face appointment. I have an ongoing health condition for which I started medication. Having been extremely ill over the weekend I needed to speak to the doctor who I have been consulting with for many months. The best they could offer me was an appointment in over three weeks time. I have had to accept an appointment with another doctor today who doesn't know me or my condition, so no continuity of care. I have had to stop taking the prescription drug.
Visited June 2023
Review titled Rivermead Gate Med.Ctr.
Replied on 19 June 2023
Dear Patient, We are very sorry that we were not able to offer you an appointment with your first choice of GP today. If you would like to discuss this further please email the surgery rivermeadgate.admin@nhs.net with your details and we will call your back. Kind regards Rivermead Gate Admin Team
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Review titled Incompetent & uncaring
Rated 1 star out of 5
by Tony H. - Posted on 13 March 2023
After a severe ankle fracture , the treating hospital referred my case to my GP to arrange physiotherapy locally. Having not heard anything after a month, I phoned the surgery to follow up and told glibly by a receptionist With couldn’t care less attitude that “oh, it could be months yet, they’re busy”. How useless !
Visited March 2023
Review titled Rivermead Gate Med.Ctr.
Replied on 16 March 2023
Dear Tony, I am sorry to hear that you have not been satisfied with our service on this occasion and will pass your feedback to our staff. If you would like to discuss this matter in more detail please contact the surgery and ask to speak to me or arrange a call back at a convenient time. Kind regards Practice Manager, Rivermead Gate Medical Centre
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Review titled Nasty receptionists.
Rated 1 star out of 5
by Anonymous - Posted on 23 July 2022
Like almost every other review on this page, my concerns are focused on the receptionists and administrative staff. Almost impossible to get on the phone to anyone. When you do eventually your told to call back tomorrow. I assume this is shortage of staff and resources. Perhaps not a problem specific to this clinic but a broader issue. On two occasions I had to get documents filled out, signed and stamped by a GP for my occupation. On the first occasion, my form was given to a specific member of the admin team who I was told directly by them specializes in handling these sort of requests. It took well over a month and a half for my forms to be filled in. All I needed on them was a number of boxes ticked and a signature. In my view it could have been done in less than fifteen minutes. When I called up after endlessly waiting and informed them I was not happy I was given a blunt response as if it was my fault. On a second occasion, I required an additional and final letter to be printed off by my GP. Knowing the GP, I asked the receptionists can I have an appointment to sit down with them in person, explain what I require and then have it printed there on the spot. Once again, something I would imagine would take up no more than ten to fifteen minutes. They said no. They further informed me that it would take thirty days to have the letter printed. After almost one month I made contact with only to be told that the letter had been ready after one week! I demanded to know why I was not contacted sooner but was bluntly mugged off by the receptionist over the phone. Upon arrival at the clinic to collect my letter. I was told that I cannot pay in card twenty pounds for the service but instead need to pay in cash. I, in anger and frustration, stormed off to the nearest ATM for cash. When I arrived back the receptionist gave me a warning that she had made a note of my alleged 'bad behavior' on their computer system. The poor receptionist I must of caused so much offense storming off, boo-hoo. According to her I should have known to pay in cash as I should have received a text message telling me my letter would be ready. I tried telling her that it has been almost a month I have never received a text message telling me the both the letter has been ready for a few weeks now and that I need to pay in cash. Clearly a technical problem exists in which I am not getting SMS notifications. Did they seem interested in getting to the bottom of that? Not the slightest. I finally had it out with them for their attitude and reminded them of the amount of woeful reviews they have on this page which largely focus on them as a team. As I left they all just laugh and giggled at me in the most septic way possible.
Visited July 2022
Review titled Rivermead Gate Med.Ctr.
Replied on 25 July 2022
Dear Patient Thank you for your feedback. I am sorry that you have not been happy with our service. It would be helpful to have the opportunity to review the issues you have raised so that we can make improvments and feedback to you. If you would like us to contact you please provide your details by email to: rivermeadgate.admin@nhs.net making your email for the attention of the practice manager.
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Review titled Great practice
Rated 5 stars out of 5
by Stephen bertram haynes - Posted on 11 July 2022
Difficult for the receptionists to try and accommodate all the patients, to try and keep everyone happy. Always found them helpful on the phone. I would like a first name added to any texts that is sent out to patients, to stop confusion. My father and myself both use the surgery, as he is 92 . I take care of his appointments. When a text arrives from the surgery about appointments , because no name is added, I don't know if its for myself or my father, without having to phone the surgery to check.
Visited July 2022
Review titled Rivermead Gate Med.Ctr.
Replied on 12 July 2022
Dear Patient, Thank you for your feedback and kind words. We will take your comments on board. Kind regards Practice Manager
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Review titled Access lottery - fine if you’re retired
Rated 1 star out of 5
by Anonymous - Posted on 26 May 2022
Almost impossible to access this practice if you are working, commuting or have child-ferrying to school / nursery responsibilities. Prior to COVID this practice offered a limited number of slots that could be booked online in the morning. This was brilliant as involved little time to log on and select. Since COVID the practice has moved to exclusive on-the-day bookings for new requests (different if you’ve already been lucky enough to have been seen by one of the team who can book follow ups with you). The practice does not appear to have moved back to more normal access options since the easing of restrictions. This means you have to start trying to contact them at 8am but you need to be prepared to leave up to an hour to get through and find out if you’ve won the lottery. The process includes listening to a pre-recorded message about COVID for over a minute before you can select the option to book an appointment. At this point you are often either hung up on or told high call volume and try again later. If you do eventually get through, it can then be another 30 minutes in the queue to speak to someone and that still doesn’t guarantee you an appointment. You can be told to phone back again at the same time tomorrow. If they can’t increase the call queue capacity, they should at least get rid of the pre-recorded minute that you can’t skip by. If they still need to play COVID messages, why not do that once you’re in the queue? Now that the rest of the country has opened up to live with COVID, it would be helpful if they could reinstate some of the previous channels to book appointments that are less time intensive at a key time in the morning for those working, commuting or on the school run.
Visited May 2022
Rivermead Gate Med.Ctr. has not yet replied.
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Review titled When the Surgery keeps you waiting
Rated 1 star out of 5
by Vicky Flanagan - Posted on 20 May 2022
I Received on May 5th a text from The Rivermead Gate stating that a late morning appointment had been made to discuss some recent test results. By 12.30 the call had not materialized I cut my afternoon plans as I was going somewhere not telephone appropriate. Still no call. This is not the first time this surgery has missed an appointment with me, the last time they put it on my NH record that I had missed the appointment. Duh! This really is the most shabby Medical Practice and not to be recommended.
Visited May 2022
Review titled Rivermead Gate Med.Ctr.
Replied on 20 May 2022
Dear Vicky, Thank you for reporting this to me. I will telephone you to discuss this personally. Kind regards Practice Manager
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Review titled Inconvenient
Rated 1 star out of 5
by Anonymous - Posted on 23 May 2022
Receptionists often sound short tempered and impatient. Getting an appointment is extremely difficult if you work and/or have kids. When you do an appointment it's at great inconvenience because you will need take a day off work, make alternative arrangements for school runs, etc. Very poor service unless you work from home, are unemployed or retired.
Visited May 2022
Rivermead Gate Med.Ctr. has not yet replied.
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Review titled Bent over backwards to help
Rated 5 stars out of 5
by Hannah palmer - Posted on 05 July 2022
I came for an appointment with my daughter in wheelchair, accessible! She got her appointment mixed up with physio but they still fitted her in as an emergency.. The receptionist was amazing and helped with booking a few different future appointments needed, the doctor also went above and beyond!! This is my daughters doctors and I'm envious! Mine which is in different town which is amazing but if I could change and come here I would do it in a heart beat 💓 the receptionist needs recognising for what she did for my daughter. Just need to email prescription staff to put her meds on one script now. Never had nhs service like this! 👍 ❣️
Visited May 2022
Rivermead Gate Med.Ctr. has not yet replied.