Enter and view: Woodlands Health Centre

Healthwatch Lewisham carried out an Enter and View visit to Woodlands Health Centre in December 2025 after receiving a number of enquiries and comments about the practice through its engagement and advocacy work. Overall, patients described the practice positively and reported good experiences with clinicians and staff. The surgery was observed to be clean, well maintained and accessible, with features including step-free access, lifts, hearing loop facilities, accessible toilets and a calm, welcoming environment.

Patients generally reported that appointments were easy to access through telephone, online and in-person booking systems, with many describing prompt callbacks and same-day access when needed. Most patients felt listened to and respected by clinicians, and staff were often described as friendly, helpful and professional. However, some patients reported that their preferred consultation method was not always provided, while others found the online triage process intrusive or difficult to use. A small number of patients also raised concerns about delays relating to referrals, test results or diagnosis. 

Staff described a supportive working environment with good teamwork, approachable management and regular training. The practice offered a range of additional support, including home visits for housebound patients, support for older patients and interpreting services. Nevertheless, staff identified pressures relating to workload and staffing levels, which they felt could sometimes affect service delivery. Opportunities for additional training, improved ventilation and better staff break facilities were also suggested. 

Healthwatch concluded that Woodlands Health Centre provides a generally positive patient experience and benefits from committed staff and good accessibility. Recommendations focused on improving communication about appointment systems and consultation options, strengthening follow-up arrangements, increasing awareness of complaints and feedback processes, promoting the Patient Participation Group more effectively, improving visibility of interpreter services, making hand sanitiser more readily available in waiting areas, addressing staffing pressures and ensuring staff have consistent knowledge of complaints, advocacy and patient engagement processes.