Enter and view: Hopwood Medical Centre

Healthwatch Rochdale carried out an enter and view visit at Hopwood Medical Centre on 14 October 2025. The visit formed part of a planned quality review led by the Greater Manchester Integrated Care Primary Care Team for the Heywood, Middleton, and Rochdale locality. The purpose of the visit was to understand how patients access GP services, including appointment booking and communication systems, and to explore the overall patient experience, including the role of the Patient Participation Group (PPG).

During the visit, Healthwatch representatives observed the waiting area, spoke with three patients, and met with the practice manager. Due to staff sickness, it was not possible to speak directly with clinical or reception staff. A telephone mystery shopper exercise was also conducted during the same week to assess access to appointments and telephone responsiveness.

The telephone system was found to answer calls in a reasonable time, with one call being answered after one minute and forty seconds. Callers heard relaxing music and clear recorded messages that provided helpful information about emergency services, appointment booking, test results, and referral enquiries. Same-day appointments and face-to-face consultations were available to patients. However, online appointment booking was not available at the time of the visit, despite this being indicated on the practice website. The practice used the PATCHS system for online consultations and access to test results, while out-of-hours appointments were provided at the Phoenix Centre in Heywood.

The practice employed five GPs, comprising three female and two male clinicians, which equated to 4.5 full-time equivalent GP sessions per week. Advanced Nurse Practitioners also supported service delivery through additional clinical sessions. During the visit, only one receptionist was observed on duty, and patients were checking in directly at the reception desk.

Several inconsistencies were identified in relation to the practice website. Although the website stated that online appointments were available, reception staff advised that these were not currently offered. In addition, the “Contact Us” page did not contain any contact details at the time of the visit, which created a barrier for patients seeking to engage with the practice digitally.

Observations of the environment were generally positive. The practice is located near bus routes and offers limited parking, including a small on-site car park. The building was fully wheelchair accessible, with automatic doors and a working lift to consulting rooms on the first floor. The waiting area was clean, tidy, and offered ample seating, and the patient toilet was also clean and accessible. However, the TV screens positioned in the waiting area for patient information were switched off during the visit, and the external signage listing GPs did not reflect the current clinical team.

Concerns were raised about patient privacy and confidentiality at reception, as the reception desk was located in the main waiting area and no clear privacy signage was in place. Conversations between patients and reception staff could potentially be overheard.

The report confirmed that the Patient Participation Group was active and met on a quarterly basis. However, the PPG section of the website had not been updated to reflect this activity. The PPG had been involved in community engagement events and health promotion initiatives, and there were plans to increase its role in practice events and awareness campaigns, although there were no current plans to publish meeting minutes online.

Healthwatch Rochdale made several recommendations, including updating GP names on signage, improving the accuracy and functionality of the practice website, confirming that the telephone call-back system was operating effectively, enhancing privacy at reception, updating PPG information online, and sharing the findings of the report with the PPG.