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 Excellent & Caring lady on reception
Rated 4 stars out of 5
by Anonymous - Posted on 09 April 2025
I was trying to get an urgent appointment for my mother (with her consent). I was being bounced around the triage system, making numerous calls etc and wasn't getting anywhere. But this morning I spoke to a very kind, understanding and efficient lady on reception. I would love to give her name, but the review rules won't let me. If someone would like to contact me, I am happy to confirm who it was, as she deserves specific feedback about how amazing she was. She listened, understood the situation and went over and above to help me get my mother seen as quickly as possible. I understand the pressures GP surgeries are under and why there are systems in place to manage appointments etc, but often, the experience you receive can be cold and seemingly uncaring because of that. This was not the case today. This lady obviously did care and proved that in her actions. I am extremely grateful, thank you.
Visited April 2025
Review titled Riverside Surgery
Replied on 15 April 2025
Dear Reviewer, Thank you for such kind and positive words. It is really refreshing to know that you took time out of your day to help us enjoy ours. It really does make a difference to us all to know that you had such a great experience. Kind regards Miss Avril Bell Practice Manager
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Review titled Great lady
Rated 4 stars out of 5
by Debbie asli - Posted on 28 February 2025
Was seen today by diabetic nurse. Such a lovely lady. Explained to me and made me very comfortable. Nice to feel relaxed when I have to see someone
Visited February 2025
Review titled Riverside Surgery
Replied on 05 March 2025
Dear Ms Asli, Thank you for taking time out to write a review. We are delighted to hear of your positive experience with our diabetic nurse. Your comment have been shared with the entire team which helps build moral. Thanks again Miss Avril Bell Practice Manager
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Review titled Good practice
Rated 5 stars out of 5
by Betty Okere - Posted on 11 March 2025
On the 15th of October 2024, I felt a lump in my right breast and I immediately longed it. I was pleased that I was immediately scheduled for a 5:15 pm appointment at 25 Mill road branch. The lady that reviewed my case that evening (I have forgotten her name), quickly spun into action. Her words were soothing and encouraging and at the same time, she was prompt to refer the case to Empress unit, Darent Valley hospital. I sincerely thank her for her action because the biopsy report came back as cancerous. I am happy to announce that because of her proactiveness, surgeries have been done and now I am declared cancer free. I am sure she can be reached and informed that I said a big Thanks to her especially and to Riverside Surgery in general. Betty Okere
Visited October 2024
Review titled Riverside Surgery
Replied on 15 April 2025
Dear Ms Okere we really appreciate you taking the time out to let us know you had a positive experience with Riverside Surgery. Your comments will be shared with the entire team which helps us build moral Miss Avril Bell Practice Manager
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Review titled Good patient interaction
Rated 3 stars out of 5
by G Bragger - Posted on 13 September 2024
After a disappointing and frustrating mix up with my sons appointment, the receptionist went out of her way to sort the issue and rebooked for the next day. Then the nurse we saw had a very caring and tentative approach to my son a credit to the practice , just a shame not all the staff are like it.
Visited September 2024
Review titled Riverside Surgery
Replied on 16 September 2024
Dear G Bragger Thank you for taking time out to leave positive feedback for our Practice staff. We are exceptionally pleased to have learned that you feel you were well looked after. Your comments will be shared with the entire team as this helps with self esteem and moral within the Practice. Thanks Again Regards Miss Avril Bell Practice Manager
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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 Asthma review of 30 May and 2nd July 2024
Rated 5 stars out of 5
by Anonymous - Posted on 24 September 2024
I was invited for an asthma review in May and had the follow-up in July. I was assessed and advised by an enthusiastic, knowledgeable and passionate lady who loves her job! On 2 July I found out that staff member reviewing me was a practitioner, who is yet to become a Registered General Nurse. I was mind-blown and said that she should go and become and get that qualification very soon, as the National Health Service needs wonderful professionals like her! As with all the staff who I have interacted with in 2024 - the commitment is clear. I am fortunate to be registered with this practice. Very thankful!
Visited July 2024
Review titled Riverside Surgery
Replied on 22 November 2024
Dear Sir/ Madam Thank you for your positive response. We really appreciate you taking the time to leave us a review. Your kind words have been shared with the entire team for moral building and we use the evidence for our appraisals. Thanks again and we are pleased you had such a good experience at Riverside Surgery.
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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.