A GP surgery in Ravenswood has just been rated ‘good’, with inspectors praising the practice for its accessibility provision for disabled and vulnerable patients.

Ravenswood Medical Practice in Henley Road has now been rated ‘good’ by the Care Quality Commission, following an inspection which was carried out on December 13 last year.

Inspectors found that for the most part, patients were able to book a same-day appointment with their GP. Appointments with nurses, health care assistants, pharmacists and the physiotherapist could also be booked in advance.

The inspectors also noted that the practice was installed with appropriate facilities to support patients with disabilities, including a lift and a hearing loop. Translators were also available when required.

For older patients, the inspectors found that the practice was “responsive” to their needs, offering home visits and urgent appointments where they were needed.

The inspectors said that the practice also “liaised regularly with the community services” to meet their needs. People in “vulnerable circumstances” were easily able to register with the practice, including homeless people and those from Travelling communities.

For the most part, patients were also satisfied with how the practice operates.

Satisfaction with appointment times increased from 44% in 2022 to 49% in 2023, and appointment satisfaction rose from 77% to 80%. Inspectors praised these statistics, as the nationally, satisfaction in these areas had fallen, and the practice had therefore bucked the trend.

However, satisfaction with the overall experience of making an appointment fell from 53% to 49%.

Staff had told inspectors that the practice had signed up for an intensive improvement project. Inspectors heard that the surgery has since made changes to its practice, such as asking patients for their date of birth at the start of each phone call to allow staff to pull up patient records more quickly, and made the triaging system more efficient.