Enter and view: The Gables Medicentre
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Healthwatch Warwickshire did an announced Enter and View visit to The Gables Medicentre on 7th December 2015. The exterior of the building needed some work due to flaking paint on the woodwork, however, the interior was clean and tidy. There was very limited parking with difficulty in access due to a bus stop immediately outside of the premises. There was no provision for disabled visitors.
The Healthwatch Enter and View team found the surgery met almost all their observation criteria. The privacy at reception was of concern as the team could hear conversations between the patients and the receptionist, even though a separate room was available. The surgery had a display board showing the patients name with an audible beep. There was a lack of advertisement for online booking. Information in other languages can be provided, included BSL interpreters, upon request.
The questionnaire asked the patients attending the surgery about appointments, access, parking, signage, staff attitudes, cleanliness and the quality of care amongst other things. Out of the 19 patients Healthwatch spoke to, only 3 found the appointment booking system to be good, “Phone line is engaged, 45-minute wait and then appointments have gone.” More than half of the respondents found the surgery opening hours to be good but 6 respondents found the accessibility to public transport etc poor. The GP, Nurse and reception staff got a good rating in general. The team felt there was a problem with issuing repeat prescription, “I had problems with a repeat prescription. I asked the receptionist how to organise it and they told me they would sort it. I called several times before the prescription became available. It took three weeks in total.” (During the visit, a conversation was heard with a different patient and the receptionist. They were complaining about a repeat prescription which they had requested two weeks before and still had not received.)
Healthwatch made several recommendations:
- For surgery to inform patients of the availability of a room in which patients can discuss private and confidential issues with a member of staff.
- To update the current notice board.
- To provide separate complaints/compliments box for patients to use.
- To look into improving the appointment booking system.
- A clear and efficient process of communication with patients in obtaining repeat prescription.
No response was given by the surgery.