Enter and view: Whitegate Health Centre Community Diagnostic Centre

Healthwatch Blackpool undertook an enter and view visit to the Community Diagnostic Centre at Whitegate Health Centre on 30 January 2024.  They had been commissioned to carry out the visit by Healthwatch England. They spoke to 10 patients.

Overwhelmingly, the feedback on the delivery of health services at the CDC was very positive, with speed of appointment, efficiency of results and staff morale all being highly commended. Healthwatch visited the phlebotomy, CT scan and ultrasound departments. Each area had bright and warm rooms that were well lit and had necessary seating to a good standard. The participants nearly all reported positive interactions with staff. 

However, practically in regards to access, there are some issues in getting to the Health Centre. It was noted that bus routes are less frequent and less diverse than access to Blackpool Victoria Hospital. There are 2 buses that stop outside the centre, 1 local (30min recurring) and 1 county (45min recurring). It was also noted that there are not many connecting buses coming from neighbouring areas travelling down Whitegate Drive, specifically Layton. Many residents have to go into the town centre to travel back out to the Health Centre, having an impact on time, money and the environment. There is also little information on the Travel Information pin board. Locally, there has been big service updates recently to local buses, therefore this could be good to display on the board. Additionally, in regards to transport access, parking on site for residents was highlighted as a major issue. The Health Centre should be aware of this as this is an ongoing issue. 

The data has highlighted residents setting off more than an hour before appointments to park and still sometimes having no success.  People said they were parking as far away as Bloomfield Road, as well as others that said they had given up trying and now elect to walk. With the surrounding areas to the Health Centre being predominantly permit only parking, this compounds issues for patient access when the CDC car park is at capacity, as “local” parking options are few. 

Awareness of the Health Centre being a CDC was very low, with just 1 participant being aware of CDC’s through the media, but not aware they were being treated within one. 

In summary, the operations of the CDC  are running effectively, with patient experience, provision of appointments and staff feedback all scoring highly. The main areas that received critique from the patients are in regards to access. Also, as highlighted above, there is little to no awareness of the benefits of CDC’s or that they exist. This highlights a gap in the public knowledge base in a town that has very poor health outcomes. Increased health awareness can only lead to increased health outcomes, so promotion of this wonderful local asset is needed.

The report contains a response from the provider.