Enter & View: Barlby Surgery November 2023

This is an Enter and View report by Healthwatch Kensington and Chelsea. Healthwatch representatives visited the Barlby GP practice.

During the announced visit, Enter and View representatives engaged with 12 patients 
and three members of staff to gather feedback. 

There are recommendations in this report:

Strengths: 
• The Staff at Barlby Surgery is caring, committed, compassionate and professional. 

• The Surgery is delivering a holistic service with a blended mix of appointments geared to individual need about which patients are positive in their feedback. 

• There is a loop service and other supporting services for more vulnerable patients. 

• There are two separate waiting areas, one for checking in and one in a larger area where you wait to see your doctor or nurse, creating some privacy when patients first check in. 

• There are disabled bays outside the entrance of the hospital. 

Recommendations for improvement:

• There is an opportunity to ensure wheelchair-accessible space in the second waiting area to accommodate patients comfortably, considering varied seating types to meet individual needs, and incorporate a designated play area for young children, currently lacking in both waiting areas. 

• Establish a clear point of contact for the named Practice Manager at Barlby Surgery, potentially by displaying staff structure with photographs alongside posters delineating clinical and non-clinical roles, facilitating patients' quick reference to staff members they may encounter.

• Provide clear information regarding the complaints procedure to ensure all patients are aware of how to raise concerns or issues, potentially by implementing a Compliments, Comments, and Complaints box for easy access. 

• Enhance the development of the Patient Participation Group (PPG) and actively work towards creating a more diversified group representative of the patient population. 

• Improve accessibility for patients with disabilities by implementing an accessible notice board positioned at eye level for individuals in wheelchairs, ensuring they can easily access information about available services. 

• Improve on the current level of flexibility regarding booking appointments at the surgery. The existing appointment system should allow patients the flexibility to schedule appointments in person.

There are no follow up actions in the report.