Enter and view: The Cornerstone Practice, Shadsworth Surgery
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Healthwatch Blackburn with Darwen undertook an announced enter and view visit to The Cornerstone Practice, Shadsworth Surgery on 20 August 2024. They spoke to 4 staff and 12 patients.
The Cornerstone Practice, Shadsworth Surgery, is located in Blackburn South East and easily accessible for patients on foot or travelling on local transport.
The practice is bright, clean and hygienic, however some areas may need review for accessibility for patients with mobility issues or dementia.
The website is informative and the patient information leaflet is useful but the complaints procedure might be hard for patients to find and the information about the Patient Participation Group is out of date. However, the Practice is able to provide leaflets in accessible formats and a complaints leaflet is also available.
Patients felt that the staff are courteous and polite and that they had enough time with the doctor, with some praising their main doctor. However concerns were raised about being able to book appointments over the phone and some felt it was difficult to book appointments around work. The Practice might want to promote the out of hours options on their Facebook page. Healthwatch was told that the Practice is looking to address the issue of booking appointments by trialling a hub approach.
Some patients complained about having to wait a long time to be seen by the doctor but most felt that they did not mind doing so because they know that the doctor is kind and thorough. There was a lack of understanding of social prescribing amongst patients and some staff members.
The Practice has a wide skillset amongst the team to be able to meet the needs of patients and they also link well with other agencies to support vulnerable patients. T
he Practice are aware that further work needs to be done to monitor “Did Not Attends” amongst patients, which impact on availability of appointments for other patients.