Updated 21 October 2019
Garston Medical Centre situated at 6a North Western Avenue, Watford, Hertfordshire is a GP practice which provides primary medical care for approximately 11,835 patients living in Watford and surrounding areas. There are lower levels of deprivation in the area mainly relating to income affecting children and older people.
Garston Medical Centre provides primary care services to local communities under a General Medical Services (GMS) contract, which is a nationally agreed contract between general practices and NHS England. The practice population is predominantly white British along with small ethnic populations of Asian, Afro Caribbean, mixed race and Eastern European origin.
Garston Medical Centre is an approved training practice (through the Watford Vocational Training Scheme) and hosts GP Registrars (who are qualified doctors training to become GPs). At the time of our inspection there are three GP registrars training at the practice.
The practice has three GP partners (all males) and two other GPs (all females). There are two practice nurses who are supported by a health care assistant. There is a practice manager who is supported by a team of administrative and reception staff. The local NHS trust provides health visiting, community nursing and midwifery services to patients at this practice. The local community mental health trust provides access to an adult mental health worker at an adjacent surgery, and the practice has access to a clinical pharmacist through the primacy care network (PCN).
The practice is open between 8am and 6.30pm Monday to Friday. On Monday the practice is open till 9pm and on Wednesday the practice is open from 6.45am providing late and early morning access to appointments.
As part of the Watford Extended Access, patients can access GP services at a designated hub practice during evening and weekends. Appointments are booked by all Watford Practices as appropriate.
When the practice is closed services are provided by Herts Urgent Care via the NHS 111 service.