Enter and view: Castle Meadows Surgery

Healthwatch Dudley undertook an enter and view visit to Castle Meadows Surgery for the following reasons:

• To understand patient experiences of accessing GP services, assess the impact of the Dudley GP Practice Charter, and identify areas for improvement.

• Castle Meadows Surgery was randomly selected as a Modern General Practice (uses digital tools and clinical pharmacy support).

   

Key Findings

• Booking Appointments:
  • Patients now use an online triage form before appointments.
  • People reported mixed experiences: some find it easy and quick, others struggle (especially older patients or those with dyslexia).
  • People's concerns included long forms, inability to book by phone, lack of clear communication about the system.
• Access & Responsiveness:
  • Most patients eventually get appointments promptly; some delays noted since COVID-19.
• Awareness:
  • Patients had low awareness of the Dudley GP Practice Charter and roles of wider healthcare team.
• Environment:
  • The waiting room was clean and tidy, but improvements needed:
    • Chairs without armrests caused difficulty for some patients.
    • Accessible toilet lock was hard to use.
    • Bare walls and inactive TV screen reduce welcoming feel.
• Website and Communication:
  • PPG information was out of date; Safer Surgery information was in a non-clickable format.
  • Repeat prescription system was difficult for older patients (date of birth entry issue).