Riverside Surgery
Erith Health Centre, 50 Pier Road, Erith, Kent, DA8 1RQContact details and opening times
Patient ratings and reviews
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Reviews
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Review titled Great service
Rated 5 stars out of 5
by James Thompson - Posted on 24 July 2024
A wonderful friendly experience with a doctor and reception staff who listened and cares thank you so much for your help. Doctor was friendly and professional and a delight
Visited July 2024
Review titled Riverside Surgery
Replied on 16 August 2024
Dear Mr Thompson, Thank you so much for taking the time to leave such a wonderful review and awarding us five stars! We are absolutely delighted to hear your positive feedback, and it truly makes a significant difference for our team. Your kind words are a tremendous boost to our staff morale and serve as a great encouragement for us to continue delivering high-quality care. Knowing that you felt well looked after during your visit on the 24th of July is incredibly rewarding. We always strive to maintain professionalism and provide a supportive environment, so it's gratifying to hear that this was reflected in your experience. We're especially pleased to hear your compliments about our reception staff. It’s wonderful to know that they were able to make your visit pleasant and that you found them caring and attentive. Positive feedback like yours is truly refreshing and inspires us to keep up the good work. Once again, thank you for your kind review. We deeply appreciate your support and are committed to ensuring that your future visits continue to meet your expectations. Kind Regards Miss Avril Bell Practice Manager
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Review titled Terribly bad
Rated 2 stars out of 5
by Jean - Posted on 11 July 2024
I don’t event see the point to give the name of my GP when seeing doctors as they don’t even know me nor any member my family. I suffer sever discoid eczema for 10 years. I have been on repeat prescription for steroid cream due to flare ups that spread to my body. Without the cream, the flare don’t disappear and are uncomfortable and lead to itchiness ro the point that I bleed. I use the new online booking system to make a request for the steroid cream and even upload a picture of part of my body to show the flare, and I received a text to book an appointment - the earliest being in 3 weeks. When I called the reception to explain my case, I was told that this is the only way despite the fact that the same GP practice prescribed this cream on multiple occasion. I don’t understand why I even need to be seen when they are supposed to now my medical history which is also on my NHS app. Waiting this long will lead me to go to a private and pay a £200 consultation to get a £9 cream! This practice wasn’t great but since it merged with others this is worst! And I don’t even want to start talking about the prescription sent by my daughter doctor at the hospital that was never sent to our pharmacist despite emails and calls from us and doctors
Visited July 2024
Review titled Riverside Surgery
Replied on 16 August 2024
Dear Service User, Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback with us. I am truly sorry to hear that you felt our service did not meet your expectations, particularly concerning the triage process for your repeat medication. Unfortunately, without your full name, it is challenging for us to investigate the specific details of your experience. However, I want to express our sincere apologies if you feel that we did not act appropriately. We understand how frustrating it can be when things don't go as expected, and we genuinely regret any inconvenience this may have caused you. We have recently welcomed new members to our team who are still in training. While we ensure they receive full support and guidance, it is possible that a mistake was made in this instance. We appreciate your understanding that everyone, even our new staff, must go through a learning curve, and errors can occasionally occur. Regarding the triage form you mentioned, we want to clarify that it is not intended for repeat prescription requests. There is no dedicated section for prescriptions on the triage form because we do not want patients to use it for that purpose. Instead, we have alternative methods for requesting repeat medications: NHS App: You can request your repeat prescriptions through the NHS app. Email: You can email us directly at prescriptions.g83630@nhs.net. Local Chemists: Some local chemists can send an email on your behalf if you are a regular patient of theirs and are requesting a regular medication. Written Request: You can also drop off a written request at any of our three branches. For your convenience, our full prescription process is detailed on our website. You can find it by visiting www.theriversidesurgery.co.uk and navigating to the section on how to order a repeat prescription. Once again, I apologise for any inconvenience you experienced. We are committed to improving our services and ensuring that such issues do not recur. Should you have any further concerns or require assistance, please do not hesitate to contact us directly. Thank you for your understanding. Kind regards Miss Avril Bell Practice Manager
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Review titled Extremely horrible practice.
Rated 1 star out of 5
by Anonymous - Posted on 20 June 2024
I’m so frustrated with the lack of assistance this receptionist has provided me. I’ve been on a new medicine for an ongoing problem I’m facing, and needed a monthly update to see how I’m getting on with the medicine so I filled out the triage form as they request and was told to book an appointment. When I went to book it claims no appointments are available and to call your surgery within 24hours if nothing appears. So I did and was told there was nothing they could do and that I have to try for 5 days. When I claimed what the website had said the women began to be rude and taking anger out on me. Never been spoken to like that on the phone and I’m so angry. As a receptionist working for the NHS your meant to help your patients and be on there side, I work alongside the NHS in my own job and never have I spoken to a patient like this. Avoid this practice at all cost!
Visited June 2024
Review titled Riverside Surgery
Replied on 16 August 2024
Dear Service User, Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback. We genuinely appreciate all feedback, whether positive or negative, as it helps us to continuously improve our services. I am sincerely sorry to hear about the difficulties you experienced with the triage form and booking process. It is distressing to learn that you were frustrated and felt that our receptionist was unhelpful and rude. Please accept our heartfelt apologies for any inconvenience and discomfort caused. We strive to ensure that every interaction with our staff is conducted with professionalism, empathy, and respect. It is concerning to hear that this standard was not met in your case. While I am unable to listen to the specific telephone call or review your medical records due to the anonymous nature of your review, I would like to reassure you that our receptionists are trained in providing sympathetic and empathetic service. It is clear from your experience that this training may not have been applied as intended, and for this, we are truly sorry. Regarding the issue with the booking link and the standard message indicating no available appointments, I understand how frustrating this must have been. The message you encountered is a standard notification meant to inform patients when there are no appointments available at that moment. I apologise for the inconvenience it caused. Please be assured that our triage system is designed to offer appointments over a seven-day period, and while the system may indicate no availability initially, appointments can become available as slots are released throughout the day. We are actively working with our triage supplier, to address this notification issue and improve the overall user experience. Unfortunately, at this time, the notification message is not customizable, but we have communicated our feedback to their systems team and are pushing for improvements. If you would like to discuss this matter further or if there is anything else we can assist you with, please feel free to contact our practice manager directly. We are committed to addressing your concerns and ensuring that your experience with us is a positive one. Thank you once again for bringing this to our attention. We value your feedback and will use it to enhance our service.
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Review titled Utterly useless!
Rated 1 star out of 5
by Peter Weidemann - Posted on 03 May 2024
Have tried for two years to get a PSA test, no luck. Have tried to book an appointment to have a potentially serious condition looked at, not able to do so as the online booking system is useless. Reception staff useless. Take over twenty minutes to answer a phone call then send a text link to book an appointment on their useless system. Words really cannot describe how useless this surgery is. Will be using Erith Urgent Care in future. I have noticed they send a generic reply to all negative reviews, so clearly don't care about their patients; just in it for the money.
Visited May 2024
Review titled Riverside Surgery
Replied on 07 May 2024
Dear Mr Weidemann We're truly sorry to hear about your difficulties in booking your PSA test and the frustrations you've experienced over the past two years. It deeply concerns us when any patient encounters obstacles in accessing the care they need. After thoroughly reviewing your medical records, it appears that we indeed initiated the process for your blood test on the 4th of January 2024. We took the step of preparing the necessary paperwork and promptly notified you via text message. However, it seems there may have been an oversight, as the records indicate that the blood form was ready for collection, yet it appears you haven't had the test performed. Furthermore, we acknowledge your recent attempts to book an appointment through our triage system. We understand the importance of timely access to healthcare services, and we strive to facilitate this for all our patients. We're sorry if you encountered any difficulties in securing an appointment, and we genuinely appreciate your patience and perseverance throughout this process. Regarding our telephone system, we do recognise that waiting on hold can be frustrating, which is why we've implemented measures such as our ring-back feature to offer more convenience and flexibility. We want to ensure that you receive the assistance you need in a timely manner, without unnecessary delays. If you press 1 when prompted, you hold your place, go about your business and we call you back, why not try it next time. We understand your frustration and disappointment, and we sincerely apologise for any inconvenience or distress you've experienced. Please know that your feedback is invaluable to us, and we take it very seriously. Our practice manager personally reviews each comment and responds with genuine care and consideration, tailored to the individual's circumstances. We do not provide generic responses, as we believe in treating each patient's concerns with the attention and respect they deserve. We genuinely want to address your concerns and ensure that you receive the care and support you need. Our team is here to assist you every step of the way, and we encourage you to reach out to us directly so we can work together to resolve any outstanding issues. Having said that we find negative comments about our staff alarming and this does go against our zero tolerance policy as this type of negativity can have a profound affect on our hard working staff. Once again, we apologise for any inconvenience or frustration you've experienced, and we remain committed to providing you with the highest quality of care. Warm regards, Miss A Bell
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Review titled Restored my faith
Rated 3 stars out of 5
by Shirley Mathews - Posted on 29 May 2024
Reading other reviews I have had problems with the surgery and agree changes are needed but yesterday I had an appointment for a face to face,unfortunately I had injured my knee,could not walk and was kindly given a telephone appointment. I dealt with the Diabetic nurse who was really helpful,friendly and took time to understand my concerns, she left me feeling I had received good medical advise and her approach was impeccable. We should complain when needed but also praise when the service works well.
Visited May 2024
Review titled Riverside Surgery
Replied on 29 May 2024
Dear Mrs Mathews, we thank you for taking time out to write this review, it is really refreshing to hear that you have had a positive experience. Your comments will be shared with the entire team as this builds moral and we can learn from any comments good or bad.
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Review titled Used to be a brilliant practice. Not now
Rated 1 star out of 5
by Anonymous - Posted on 14 March 2024
I have been using this surgery for over 30 years. Since the pandemic I have been unable to get an appointment. I only ever use them if desperately needed, but now it's impossible. Twice in the last 4 years i've found myself outside Erith Urgent Care as I can't get to see the Dr. ALL the original Dr's @ Battle road have left I don't even know who my Dr is now. I've been trying to get an appointment for my Autistic daughter and all I can get is a telephone appointment 2 weeks later. Get an email saying it'll be between 8.30 & 1. So I wait in all day with my daughter who won't speak on the phone. I double check with the surgery @ lunchtime that she's definitely getting a call only to be told. Yes but it's an afternoon appointment so it's anytime upto 4pm. I explain to reception that we've been waiting since 8.30 as we were told AM only to be told there's nothing she can do. Terrible service since they joined Riverside. I would change but both my children have used this surgery since birth and I have for 30 + years. Hoping that reviews will make a difference but I'm doubting it!
Visited March 2024
Review titled Riverside Surgery
Replied on 16 August 2024
Dear Service User, Thank you for taking the time to leave your feedback. We sincerely apologise for the experience you described and for any inconvenience caused. We are sorry to hear that you felt you ended up in urgent care rather than seeing a GP at Riverside Surgery. Unfortunately, because your feedback was posted anonymously, I am unable to access your medical records to gain a full understanding of the situation. We do have a triage system in place where care coordinators and duty doctors work together to assess and prioritize patient needs. This system is designed to ensure patients are seen in accordance with clinical urgency and government guidelines, which typically allows for contact or an appointment within two weeks unless an urgent need is identified. I regret that there was confusion regarding your appointment time, and I would have liked to review the records to address this issue more thoroughly. Since I cannot identify your specific case from an anonymous review, I am unable to investigate further or discuss this with our team directly. We understand your dissatisfaction and would like to offer our apologies. If you would like to discuss this matter further or provide additional details, please contact our practice manager directly. Your feedback is important to us, and we are committed to learning from any mistakes to improve our services. Thank you again for your feedback. Kind regards Miss Avril Bell Practice Manager
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Review titled Terrible
Rated 1 star out of 5
by Joey - Posted on 17 November 2023
It's impossible to get an appointment. The surgery think they are becoming more streamlined by having an online booking system, but it is so hard to actually get an appointment. Even more frustratingly, my sister also received a booking link but was shown at least 9 appointments and I was shown none. I described that my issue required antibiotics and am still unable to get an appointment. It's worrying when you read that if left untreated your issue could lead to further complications, but the basis of your treatment is left at the hands of a surgery with no compassion or ability to book an appointment over the phone in a timely manner. I dread to think about the poor old people who don't have access to the internet - if they get through to the clueless and compassionless receptionists and are made to wait.
Visited November 2023
Review titled Riverside Surgery
Replied on 17 November 2023
Riverside Surgery sends an apology to you for any disappointment caused over booking an appointment recently. Our appointment system is a challenging and evolving model one, which we are, contracted to fulfil to our best ability by NHS England. At Riverside Surgery, we understand that some people find it time consuming or daunting completing total triage. General practice is not one model - it is a number of different models - at Riverside Surgery, we are mindful that not one size fits all. Booking links, are valid for seven days (during core hours Monday to Friday 08.00hrs to 17.00hrs). The Government’s plan for GP practices this year was that, when patients contact their practice online or over the phone they will know on the day that they make contact how their query will be managed, rather than being told to call back later. If their need is urgent, they will be assessed and given appointments on the same day. If it is not urgent, appointments should be offered within 2 weeks, or patients will be referred to NHS 111 or a local pharmacy. We apologise if you believe we have not delivered on this to you.it may be possible when you tried to book with the link you were sent they had already been booked as it is a first come first serve basis. As previously mentioned, Care - Navigators direct patients to different clinicians within the practice, other professionals within the general practice or other medical professionals such as community pharmacists who can best meet the needs of the patients. This explains why your sister could see different availability. I understand you then called reception who advised you to try the link the next day, as it is valid for seven days or to complete the triage. If you had specified, when you work, when you would be available or if you would prefer a call rather than a link on your completed the triage, our Care-Coordinators would have seen that you had very specific booking needs and they would have called you to ensure that you could receive the appointment you desired. We recognise it is important for our staff to show compassion and support to our patient population. We also have to defend our staff because we understand it can be challenging to find the right words to express empathy in a second language. At Riverside Surgery we have a range of different cultures within our team and we can assure you that we all par-take in regular mandatory training this includes equality, diversity and inclusion training. I had asked our Care – Coordinating team to call you today to apologise and book you a convenient appointment. I have been informed that the team attempted to call you twice today but failed to reach you. Therefore, they booked you an appointment and I believe you have now accepted that appointment. This was a 24hr turnaround from your original triage.
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Review titled From great practice to worst practice
Rated 1 star out of 5
by Krishty Ankadu - Posted on 30 October 2023
I called @ 5pm to book for a doctor appointment and I was referred to the triage booking system using the link. I open the link and it shows that the practice is closed “out of hours core” & I called back again @ 17.20 I was asked to go on the link tomorrow morning @8am using the link given to book the appointment. Being sick and to go through the hassle of booking this appointment and while the practice is still opened why I can’t understand why the link doesn’t work and” it’s out of hours “. It’s getting worse as someone is being sick plus have to go through all this process to fill up a form and don’t know when to get an appointment. Why can’t it be a simple process to book an appointment . It’s like going through a test !! It used to be so good when used to be with Bulbank !
Visited October 2023
Review titled Riverside Surgery
Replied on 17 November 2023
Riverside Surgery sends an apology to you for any disappointment caused over booking an appointment recently. We understand that for some, it can be challenging and at times seems a negative experience. Our appointment system is a challenging and evolving model one, which we are, contracted to fulfil to our best ability by NHS England. At Riverside Surgery, we understand that some people find it time consuming or daunting completing total triage. General practice is not one model - it is a number of different models - at Riverside Surgery, we are mindful that not one size fits all. Booking links, are valid for seven days (during core hours Monday to Friday 08.00hrs to 17.00hrs). The Government’s plan for GP practices this year was that, when patients contact their practice online or over the phone they will know on the day that they make contact how their query will be managed, rather than being told to call back later. If their need is urgent, they will be assessed and given appointments on the same day. If it is not urgent, appointments should be offered within 2 weeks, or patients will be referred to NHS 111 or a local pharmacy. We apologise if you believe we have not delivered on this to you.
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Review titled The worst practice
Rated 1 star out of 5
by Rosita GENTVILIENE - Posted on 28 September 2022
By Far, the worst General Practice I have ever been with. I've been having aches and pain since July. After receiving no tests or help from Riverside hospital I went to private clinic. After tests and consultation, I was prescribed antibiotics and the clinic sent recommendations to my practice to make additional tests and scans. Have not received a word from my gp. Since july, I've been on 5 courses of the antibiotics prescribed by different doctors from different places, including A&E Queen Elisabeth's hospital. This place has had recommendations from private clinics in London, Lithuania and even Queen Elizabeth hospital, to do certain tests and scans. recommendations have been sent to them and by mail, and delivered by hand. Had a few appointments at Riverside Surgery, so far... to no avail. Problem persists, antibiotics aren't helping, receiving no help from my doctor. The same is the case with a referral to a rheumatologist (I have an autoimmune disease). Our surgery received recomendations from St. Thomas hospital to send me to the rheumatologist. 2 doctors at Riverside surgery promised to write a referral to Guy's hospital but in 4 months I have not received a referral
Visited August 2022
Review titled Riverside Surgery
Replied on 16 August 2024
Dear Mrs Gentviliene, Thank you for taking the time to leave feedback. We genuinely appreciate hearing from our patients, even when the feedback is less than positive. We’re truly sorry to learn that you are dissatisfied with the service you received. Upon reviewing your case, we noted that between January 2022 and September 2022, you were seen or contacted by our clinicians nine times. We also made several attempts to reach you via phone, including multiple voicemail messages, and processed four referrals and four scan requests on your behalf. We understand from your review that you sought additional care from a private clinic and requested that we follow up with further tests. However, as per NHS guidelines, we are unable to provide follow-up for services initiated privately, and treatments or recommendations from clinics outside the NHS cannot be managed by our practice. We regret that this has caused frustration and that you feel we did not meet your needs. Please know that our team has been diligently working to provide the best possible care within the NHS framework. If you have any further concerns or need clarification on any aspect of your care, please do not hesitate to contact us directly. We are committed to resolving any issues and ensuring your continued well-being. Thank you once again for your feedback. We value your input and are here to assist you in any way we can.