Enter and view: Eltham Medical Practice - Well Hall Road

Healthwatch Greenwich carried out an Enter and View visit to the Well Hall Road branch of Eltham Medical Practice, speaking with nine patients. Overall, feedback was very positive, with all patients rating the surgery as good, very good or excellent. The practice, which was rated Good by the Care Quality Commission, was observed to be clean, accessible and welcoming, with helpful reception staff, electronic check-in facilities and a child-friendly waiting area.

Patients were generally satisfied with the quality of care they received from GPs, nurses and reception staff. They felt involved in decisions about their treatment and praised clinicians for explaining conditions and options clearly. Prescription services were also highly rated, with patients reporting that repeat prescriptions were straightforward to obtain through online systems and local pharmacies. 

The main concerns related to appointment availability and delays. Several patients reported waiting up to two weeks for routine appointments, while some experienced delays of between 10 and 45 minutes after arriving for booked appointments. Patients also highlighted the challenge of seeing the same GP consistently, although overall satisfaction with clinical care remained high. Awareness of the Patient Participation Group was very limited, with only one patient reporting knowledge of its existence. 

Healthwatch concluded that the practice was providing a good-quality service but identified opportunities to improve communication and patient information. Recommendations included making translation services, hearing loop support and accessible information more visible; improving awareness of the Patient Participation Group and GP Access Hubs; introducing a more visible patient feedback mechanism; and exploring ways to communicate appointment delays more effectively.