Patients' Watchdog Believes Peacehaven GP Surgery's Apology And Promise To Improve Isn't Enough

Monday, 14 December 2020 18:45

By John Warburton @Warblefly

A dispute, over standards of service given to patients by the HavensHealth GP practice in Peacehaven, has intensified.

It's after official patients' watchdog Healthwatch East Sussex produced a highly critical report, focussing on communication problems with HavensHealth patients, and on problems in obtaining appointments and accessing services.

Although the surgery issued an apology, and pledged to do better, Healthwatch East Sussex told the media today (December 14) that the surgery's apology and its list of commitments still left open a list of problems.

The watchdog said about the surgery:

Their focus on addressing patient concerns is not strong enough;
The key theme is focused on the wrong points (the practice merger);
The mechanisms for taking actions forward and monitoring progress have been too vague;
The information we were given by HavensHealth is already in the public domain;
The proposed joint statement did not sufficiently clarify the pathway or timescale for improvements.

In its initial apology, HavensHealth said recruitment problems and chaotic IT systems caused by a merger were partly to blame.

So far, it has promised these actions:

Telephone
A new digital phone system with many more phone lines
A queuing system so patients know where they are in the queue
A new dedicated phone line for script queries
Staff
More reception staff to answer calls
More staff to deal with prescription queries
We have managed to recruit several more GPs despite the national shortage
Another Paramedic to help with home visits
A new Sexual Health Nurse
A new Clinical Pharmacist to help with prescribing work
A Physiotherapist to help free up GP appointments
A Patient Liaison Lead dealing with feedback and working with the Patient Group
Premises
Most every day services will happen at the Anchor Healthcare site as this is the larger premises
The Rowe Avenue Covid-19 area has now been moved to a self-contained unit at the rear of the building and the Patient access door is at the rear, through the carpark
The front part of Rowe Avenue is now used by our Acute team of Nurse Practitioners, Paramedics, Health Care Assistants and sometimes a support doctor
Communication & Contacts
A new website www.havenshealth.co.uk to replace the Meridian and Rowe Avenue surgery ones
A patient email link esxccg.havenshealth@nhs.net for complaints, for the attention of the Patient Liaison Lead
A Patient Group email link havenshealthppg@gmail.com for patients wishing to talk to the Patient Group Lead
Working together with Healthwatch enquiries@healthwatcheastsussex.co.uk to improve our communication with patients
If you have any difficulty contacting the practice and need urgent healthcare advice you can call the free NHS 111 service or go to www.111.nhs.uk