Enter and view: New Eltham Medical Practice - Thaxted Road

Healthwatch Greenwich undertook an Enter and View visit to New Eltham Medical Centre (Thaxted Road Surgery) on 16 May 2018. Overall, the practice was found to be clean, accessible and well maintained, with patients generally satisfied with the quality of care they received. The surgery had been rated Good by the Care Quality Commission in 2017. 

Patients spoke positively about the GPs and nurses, describing the care provided as good and feeling involved in decisions about their treatment. The practice offered a welcoming environment with clear information displays, good accessibility features and facilities such as online booking promotion, a health monitoring machine and a patient feedback box. 

The main concerns related to access rather than clinical care. Several patients reported difficulties obtaining GP appointments and described waits of up to two weeks for routine appointments. Feedback on reception staff was mixed, and Healthwatch noted limited privacy at the reception desk, a lack of child-friendly facilities and little visible information about services such as GP Access Hubs, translation support and NHS 111. Awareness of the Patient Participation Group (PPG) was also very low. 

Overall, Healthwatch concluded that patients felt well looked after and valued the clinical care they received. Recommendations focused on improving appointment availability, increasing awareness of alternative access services, enhancing privacy and making the waiting area more welcoming and informative for patients.