Healthwatch helps Brighton patients campaign to increase GP access
We need the surgery open every day for the elderly, vulnerable and those unable to access Carden surgery.
We are very pleased to see our residents' views are being listened to in such a meaningful way and thank Healthwatch for their work in highlighting how the reduced hours in New Larchwood Surgery in Coldean is having a detrimental impact on more than 2000 registered patients that use the service, and especially so for some of the more vulnerable groups.
We support the recommendations from Healthwatch to revert to the original opening hours and reinstate the nurse practitioner role and call on the CCG to consider this seriously.
What has happened to date?
On 1st April 2021, New Larchwood Surgery reduced opening hours from 7 sessions (a mixture of mornings and afternoons) to just 2 mornings a week. Patients were offered Carden Surgery as an alternative when New Larchwood Surgery was not open. With support from the local Coldean Residents' Association, patients complained to the surgery about the following:
- Patients were informed late (patients received communication either on the day of the change or after the change had already occurred)
- Carden Surgery is further away (2 bus rides and a minimum of 25 minutes by public transport)
- Reduced access to a local surgery.
How did Healthwatch get involved?
The Brighton & Hove Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) who commission primary care services such as GP surgeries across Brighton and Hove invited Healthwatch to get involved. We met with the Residents’ Association and the CCG and Practice Partners.
Hearing the context, Healthwatch proposed that a patient survey should be carried out to gauge opinions of the change. This was circulated during July & August 2021.
What did patients tell us?
385 patients (18% of registered patients at New Larchwood Surgery) told us:
- Service has become worse since reduced hours: 56% of patients found booking an appointment at New Larchwood Surgery had become worse since the change;
I can rarely get an appointment due to the poor opening hours at New Larchwood Surgery … hours should be increased especially now that a huge housing development with hundreds of new apartments is being built.
- Dissatisfaction with new hours: 81% of patients wanted to see New Larchwood Surgery open for longer than the current hours of two mornings.
The reduced hours have impacted my mental health greatly: I have become more fearful. Due to my mental health condition, I am unable to take a bus and correctly find the stop I need.
- Impact of change on patients: 75% of patients provided negative examples of how the reduced hours had affected them. People found booking an appointment, and/or traveling to the alternative surgery difficult. People experienced negative impact on their mental health. 16 people avoided making an appointment due to this change.
Vulnerable family members have not sought the care they need as the ‘hassle’ now involved with wait times and booking puts them off.
To read the full report and findings, please see the links at the bottom of this page.
Healthwatch Brighton & Hove enables patients to ask questions directly of the CCG and Practice Partners
On 18th January 2022, Healthwatch coordinated an online event for patients to meet with the Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) and Coldean & New Larchwood Practice Partners to ask further questions about this change. Healthwatch presented the report findings and the following key points were raised:
- The CCG confirmed there were no plans to close New Larchwood Surgery.
- Practice Partners confirmed they were recruiting for a nurse practitioner and had plans to recruit another GP for New Larchwood Surgery.
- Practice Partners confirmed that with successful recruitment of nurse and/or GP, that opening hours could be increased.
- Patients pressed the importance of having New Larchwood Surgery open every day.
- Patients offered to provide voluntary services to counter the challenges of lone-working staff; Practice Partners agreed to liaise with patients about this.
- Practice Partners offered to update their website with the current service offer and recruitment plans; and provide the same for the Coldean Residents’ Association newsletter.
- A second review was agreed for between 2-3 months’ time.
This is part of our ongoing work challenging the Clinical Commissioning Group about a reduction in GP access. See our previous reports on GP patient caseloads increasing in Brighton and Hove.
Together, we look forward to continuing to engage with patient and community groups who were involved in the survey and report findings to listen to the feedback and work together to find solutions to help improve patient experience.