Enter & View: The Doctor Hickey Surgery November 2023

This is an Enter and View report from Healthwatch Westminster. Healthwatch representatives visited the Dr Hickey surgery.

During the announced visit to Dr Hickey surgery, Enter and View representatives engaged with 12 patients and two members of staff to gather feedback. Westminster Healthwatch collected the views and experiences of both patients and staff.

There are recommendations in this report:

Strengths

• Appointment booking is convenient and flexible, allowing patients to book online, by phone, or in person for the same day appointment. 

• All patients are offered food and drinks when they come to their appointments. 

• Patients are treated with dignity and respect. 

• All 12 patients we spoke to on the day were overall happy with the 
service they were receiving.

Recommendations for improvement 

• 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. 

• Considered a bigger building, as the current space is small considering the number of clients who attend the surgery. 

• Additional safety measures and support for staff are essential, including the provision of a secure area for staff to retreat to if necessary. During our visit, a member of the Healthwatch team witnessed a patient exhibiting aggressive behaviour. It is crucial for staff to have access to a safe area or alternative exit during potentially dangerous situations. Currently, one staff member holds a key that opens and locks the main door each time someone enters or exits the surgery. As a result, the door remains locked at all times, raising concerns about fire safety. Therefore, it is imperative to address these safety concerns promptly and ensure that staff have the necessary support and resources to handle challenging situations effectively. 

There are no follow up actions in this report.