Practice Update
We’re so excited to connect with you here on social media—thank you for your patience! After reviewing some of your comments, we wanted to share an update on what’s been happening since we took over in April 2024.
When we stepped in, we discovered a number of longstanding issues within the practice. While we’ve been working tirelessly to resolve them, some challenges remain. Despite these hurdles, we’ve remained steadfast in our commitment to restoring these practices to the full glory we know they can achieve—and we’re excited about the progress we’re making!
Here’s what you need to know:
- Opening Hours: Both our practices are open from 8 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. While GP appointments at Penvale typically finish by 2 p.m., clinicians remain on-site to support you throughout the day.
- Access to Minor Illness Care: If your query is about a minor illness, your community pharmacy may be a great first step! They’re now funded to support a range of common conditions. If you’d like to schedule an appointment with a trained community pharmacist, we can help arrange this for you via telephone, in person at the practice, or online. These appointments are often available on the same day and provide expert care conveniently and quickly.
- Follow-Up Queries: For follow-up, medication, or referral queries, these are best addressed through email or online consultations. This helps us triage your concern to the right team without needing to involve a GP directly.
- New Appointment System: To better serve you through the winter months, we’re introducing a same-day appointment system. This should help us meet more of your immediate healthcare needs.
- Specialized Support for Vulnerable Patients: For those who are frail or have complex needs, we’re creating bespoke appointments to ensure you have the time and care you deserve.
- Plenty of Nursing and HCA Appointments: While GP appointments may be a bit harder to come by, we have plenty of appointments available with our Healthcare Assistants and Nursing team. They’re here to help with a variety of needs, from health checks to annual blood tests, ensuring you get the support you need.
What’s Next?
We’re thrilled to share our plans for the future! With the ICB’s support in addressing our funding shortfall, we hope to introduce more clinical appointments and services to benefit our community. This includes running more specialist clinics for common conditions and streamlining our appointment check-in system to reduce wait times when you visit.
We’ve also invested significantly in upgrading our facilities. Both sites have been fully renovated to meet the high standard of care expected in 2024/25. Additionally, we’ve brought in new equipment, such as state-of-the-art ECG machines, and restored our self-service blood pressure machine to enhance your experience and care at the practice.
While there have been obstacles, we’re confident in our ability to steer the practice toward a brighter future. We’ve made significant strides already and are grateful for your patience and support as we work through these changes.
If you’d like to make your voice heard and help shape the future of your GP practice, we’d love for you to join our Patient Participation Group. Your feedback is invaluable in helping us deliver the care you need!
Thank you for being a part of this journey with us.
Warm regards,
Your Local GP Team – EBPP/ SMC