Enter and view: Pitsmoor Surgery

Healthwatch Sheffield carried out an Enter and View visit to Pitsmoor Surgery to examine access to primary care services, patient experience and the overall environment. The visit found a caring, forward-looking and well-organised practice that was committed to improving access and responding to the needs of a diverse local population. Inspectors observed good physical accessibility, clear signage, helpful reception staff and a calm, welcoming atmosphere. The practice offered a wide range of services, including diabetes care, family planning, minor surgery, physiotherapy, travel clinics and specialist clinics for Roma and Slovak patients supported by interpreters.

The practice was praised for its openness, collaborative culture and willingness to identify and address challenges. Management demonstrated a strong understanding of local needs and worked alongside six other practices within a federation. The surgery also supported continuity of care through a preferred doctor system and offered a variety of appointment options, including online booking, same-day triage appointments, Saturday appointments and early morning clinics for young people. 

Access to appointments remained the main challenge. While urgent access through triage was generally considered effective, patients could wait an average of two weeks to see their preferred GP and up to four weeks for some part-time doctors. The practice also faced a high number of missed appointments, recording 105 "Did Not Attend" appointments in a single week, representing around 12% of appointments. Healthwatch noted that reducing missed appointments could potentially improve waiting times and recommended exploring additional ways to communicate the impact of non-attendance to patients. 

The Patient Participation Group (PPG) was active and engaged, contributing to improvements around access and parking issues. Staff, managers and patient representatives spoke positively about the practice, although Healthwatch noted occasional patient perceptions that some groups received preferential access to appointments. The practice strongly refuted this and Healthwatch recommended improving communication about the range of specialist clinics available to all patient groups to counter misperceptions. Overall, the report concluded that Pitsmoor Surgery was a caring, accessible and progressive practice that was working hard to meet growing demand while maintaining a positive patient experience.