Updated 7 July 2017
Crown Heights Medical Centre is a large practice located in the middle of the town centre of Basingstoke, in a purpose built building. The practice is located close to rail and public transport links. There is a small car park located near the practice and is shared with another practice that shares the same building. Patients are advised where possible to park in the nearby multi-storey car park.
The practice provides services under a Personal Medical Services contract and is part of the NHS North Hampshire Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG). The practice has approximately 25,300 registered patients. The practice has a slightly higher population of working aged individuals, particularly those aged 25 to 35, compared to the average for England. The practice is located in an area of low deprivation. Basingstoke has a population with a wide range of cultural diversity. Approximately 3% of the patients registered at the practice do not have English as a first language and includes patients from Chinese, Polish and Indian sub-continent backgrounds.
The practice has 11 GP partners and four salaried GPs (male and female GPs). The GPs are supported by six practice nurses and three health care assistants. The practice also employs a community matron and a paramedic. Together the additional clinical staff amount to just over eight whole time equivalents. The clinical team are supported by 28 additional staff members including a business manager and patient services manager as well as secretarial and administrative staff. Crown Heights Medical Centre is a teaching and training practice for doctors training to become GPs and medical students.
The practice has two waiting areas for patients. The reception area is light and airy and offers a self-check-in service for patients. A range of seating is available to meet patients’ needs. The reception desk has a lowered section to improve accessibility for wheelchair users and children. A notice is displayed that requests that patients stand away from the reception desk until it is their time to speak, in order to protect patient privacy. There is a TV screen in the admin reception area displaying health information for patients and a comment card box for patients to leave feedback. The practice displays a range of health information leaflets and where to get further support in the waiting areas and in the corridors. The practice has 18 consulting rooms plus a large treatment room and minor surgery suite. There are three toilets available to patients, including facilities for patients with disabilities as well as baby changing facilities. The practice reception and phone lines are open between 8am and 6.30pm Monday to Friday. The practice has a branch site in Lychpit which is open between 8.30am and 6pm. The practice offers extended hours appointments until 7pm every weekday and on Saturday mornings from 8.45 to 11.30am.
Morning appointments with a GP are available between 8.30am and 12pm. Afternoon appointments are available from 2pm to 6.30pm. The practice offers several types of appointment; Rapid access, for urgent face to face appointments or telephone consultations with the duty GP; on the day appointments which are released daily; home visits; routine appointments and online appointments.
Crown Heights Medical Centre has opted out of providing out-of-hours services to their own patients and refers patients to the NHS 111 service. The practice offers online facilities for booking and cancellation of appointments and for requesting repeat prescriptions.
On this inspection we inspected Crown Heights Medical Centre which is located at 2 Dickson House, Basingstoke, Hampshire, RG21 7AN. The practice also has a branch practice located approximately two miles away in the village of Lychpit, located at Lychpit Surgery, Great Binfields Road, Lychpit, Basingstoke, RG24 8TF. We did not visit the branch surgery as part of this inspection.