The Castle Medical Group

I went to Castle Medical group to ask for advice about my feet. I asked if they knew of a podiatrist that I could go to and they had absolutely no idea about where I could go. The annoying thing is that my partner is registered at Pendleside Medical practice and they were able to get much better infomation and they were sent to a Podiatrist. They're in the same building how come they don't know the same information?

They keep moving things around the waiting area. They had a screen up which used to tell patients where they needed to go and they have taken it down. The new screen is not as good and I don't think it is as helpful.
Those new tablets at the front aren't in the right place. You used to be able to use them in the main waiting area and now they're in the entrance. Half the time they are broken and people don't know what to do. I don't know why they moved them.

It's a great doctors. Sometimes the reception staff are unhelpful. We had issues recently when we needed certificates signing for my son to say he has Asperger's for him to take to University and they weren't provided quickly enough. We were also charged money to get letters from the GP

You get to know all the staff and they get to know you. It's all first names. It's a smallish car park but I park on the double yellows because I have a blue badge.

Brilliant - they are all looking after him

It needs a new facility to fit more people in. It's not easy to get an appointment - it can be 6 weeks

Mental health advice and guidance with the GP - I went in with panic attacks and suicide notes but nothing was found or given. No-one thought there was anything wrong. I felt there was no passion. It's too old to find this out when you're 19. If it's mild like me it's not noticed. Action for ASD gave me the diagnosis - I don't think other services get this.

I'd say to anyone to go through private if they need mental health support. Staff here are poorly trained - they did not pick up on the signs of autism that I had and kept saying it was just teenage depression. The mental health team that I was eventually referred to just passed me around. I think they are poorly trained as well. The cabin they use is very obvious - it says Healthy Minds on the front and it is a small portacabin.

I knew what I wanted before I went in. I find appointments like this to be very good. I went for hair loss medication but the NHS does not cover this but the information I was given was clear and to the point.

Excellent

The only problem we have had with it has been when my mother in law's doctor retired and she had to change to a different one. She can't seem to get her head around it and it has caused a lot of problems for her.