Enter and view: New Eltham Medical Practice - Blackfen Surgery

Healthwatch Greenwich carried out an Enter and View visit to the Blackfen Road branch of New Eltham Medical Centre, speaking with eight patients. Overall, feedback was positive, with patients describing the surgery as clean, accessible and welcoming. Most patients were satisfied with the care they received from GPs, nurses and reception staff, and felt involved in decisions about their treatment. The practice had previously been rated Good by the Care Quality Commission. 

Patients were generally happy with the quality of care provided and described GPs as good listeners who explained conditions and treatment options clearly. Staff were commonly described as friendly and helpful, and patients valued the continuity of care they received. The surgery was praised for its cleanliness, convenient location and disabled access. 

The main concerns related to appointments. Patients reported mixed experiences of booking appointments, with some able to access urgent appointments quickly but others facing long waits for routine appointments, difficulties getting through by telephone and delays in being seen on time. Healthwatch also observed a lack of information about services such as GP Access Hubs, translation services, online booking and the Patient Participation Group. Some information displayed in the waiting area was out of date.

Healthwatch concluded that the surgery was providing a good service overall but identified opportunities for improvement. Recommendations included improving access to appointments, reducing appointment delays, introducing an electronic check-in system to ease pressure on reception staff, and improving signposting and information available in the waiting area.