Dr Heath Prescot Medical Centre

Updated 7 February 2024

Dr Heath, Prescot Medical Centre is a NHS GP practice which provides primary care services to patients in Knowsley. We carried out an announced assessment of one quality statement, equity of access, under the key question Responsive at Dr Heath, Prescot Medical Centre on the 12 February 2024. We carried out the assessment as part of our work to understand how practices are working to try to meet peoples demands for access and to better understand the experiences of people who use services and providers. We recognise the work that GP practices have been engaged in to continue to provide safe, quality care to the people they serve. We know staff are carrying this out whilst the demand for general practice remains exceptionally high, with more appointments being provided than ever. However, in this challenging context, access to general practice remains a concern for people. Our strategy makes a commitment to deliver regulation driven by people’s needs and experiences of care. The assessment of the quality statement equity of access includes looking at what practices are doing innovatively to improve patient access to primary care and sharing this information to drive improvement. Overall, the practice is rated as good and the key question responsive continues to be rated as providing a good service. We found that the practice had organised services to meet patients’ needs, particularly those who were most likely to have difficulty accessing care. The practice used feedback and other information to monitor and improve access.

Updated 7 February 2024

In the 2023 National GP Patient Survey, the practice’s data demonstrated that 79.9% of people responded positively about how easy it is to get through to the practice by phone. This is significantly higher than the national average and an increase in performance from previous year’s results. Patient satisfaction with GP practice appointment times, satisfaction with the appointment offered and with the overall experience of making an appointment were in line with the national and local averages and similar in performance to previous years. Results from the NHS Friends and Family Test (FFT) were reviewed and found to be positive. For example, in November and December 2023, 581 people responded to the survey and 96% were positive about the practice. This is higher than the England average of 91%. We viewed two Healthwatch feedback reviews on access for the practice. These were both positive about access and gave five out of five-star ratings. The practice had reviewed and responded to the feedback and continues to make improvements. We recognise the pressure that practices are currently working under, and the efforts staff are making to maintain levels of access for their patients. At the same time, our strategy makes a commitment to deliver regulation driven by people’s needs and experiences of care. We were told and saw that the practice sought and acted on feedback relating to access.