Medical Centre provides detailed response following concerns over delays for GP appointments

THE partners at Culcheth Medical Centre have provided a detailed response to residents’ concerns raised by local Cllr Neil Johnson over delays for GP appointments.

The Independent Councillor is now seeking the views and feedback of local residents who are users of Culcheth Medical Centre.

Cllr Johnson says that, over the past few weeks, he has received a number of reports regarding patients unable to easily obtain GP appointments, or who have faced delays, or found themselves frustrated at having to navigate the new booking system.
In order to build a better picture of his residents’ experience, Cllr Johnson is inviting feedback – both positive and negative – which will inform his next campaign.

Cllr, Johnson said: “We all value our NHS and the service it provides, but we must not be afraid to call out problems if they exist and strive to tackle them.
“Our system is not flawless. I have been concerned to hear from many local residents over the past few weeks who have told me about the difficulties they have faced getting a GP appointment at Culcheth Medical Centre.
“It seems that residents have faced numerous delays, had to navigate a challenging booking system, and (in some cases) have felt that they have been “palmed off” with an advanced practitioner or a nurse, when they have specifically requested to see a doctor.
“Labour promised when they came into Government that they would streamline the system and make it easier for people to see a GP. That does not seem to be the reality for people in Culcheth, Glazebury and Croft.
“I am especially concerned for those residents who have faced long delays, especially now we are in the winter months.
“I am asking for any residents who have had experience of Culcheth Medical Centre to provide me with their confidential feedback, good or bad. I want to build a picture of the kind of service our community is receiving. I will then take these concerns forward and press for improvements.”
Residents who wish to pass any feedback on to Councillor Johnson can do so via his Facebook page (Cllr Neil Johnson – Independent Councillor, Culcheth, Glazebury and Croft) or via email to CllrNeil.Johnson@warrington.gov.uk. All information provided will be treated in the strictest confidence.

After being contacted by Warrington Worldwide GP partners Dr. Animesh Sinha and Dr. James Macbeth provided a detailed response stating:
“We would like to thank you Gary for the opportunity to respond to the concern raised by Councillor Johnson. We have not received any direct communication from the Councillor regarding the issues raised.
“As a local NHS service, we expect that any individual or representative with genuine concerns about patient care would contact us directly so that we can address matters constructively and collaboratively.
“Thank you for allowing us the opportunity to share further detail about the services we provide at Culcheth Medical Centre.
“We are extremely proud of the high-quality care delivered by our excellent clinical team, which includes five GPs and four Advanced Nurse Practitioners (ANPs) — one of whom is a Paediatric Advanced Nurse Prescriber — as well as our Practice Pharmacist and dedicated Nursing team. Every clinical room in the practice is fully utilised to support patient care.

Patient Access and SystmConnect
Ensuring patients can choose how they contact us remains a core priority. We offer:

In-person booking at reception
Telephone access with an emergency bypass line from 8.00–8.30am, followed by our main lines operating 8.30am–6.30pm, Monday to Friday

Online access via SystmConnect from 8.00am–6.30pm
SystmConnect does not require patient registration and is significantly simpler and more accessible than the previous Anima system. Over the past two months, more than 800 patients were contacted and offered an appointment within one hour of submitting their request.
We also provide a same-day on-call GP for urgent matters when other clinicians are fully booked.

Patient Access Data & Performance
To support transparency, we closely monitor key access indicators each month.

Inbound Call Data

September:
Total inbound calls: 5,075
Average waiting time: 4 minutes 17 seconds
Callbacks requested: 308
Successful callbacks: 298

October:
Total inbound calls: 5,360
Average waiting time: 3 minutes 50 seconds
Callbacks requested: 331
Successful callbacks: 318

November:
Total inbound calls: 4,692
Average waiting time: 4 minutes 14 seconds
Callbacks requested: 286
Successful callbacks: 273

When patients do not answer their phones during call-backs, we always leave a voicemail message or send an Accurx text to confirm we have attempted to contact them.

Appointment Activity
Between September and November, our clinicians provided:
4,264 appointments in September
4,788 appointments in October
4,038 appointments in November

This equates to 13,090 appointments delivered in just three months, not including additional appointments provided by Primary Care Network (PCN) hub staff.
During the same period, our clinicians also carried out 182 home visits, ensuring care remains accessible to patients who are housebound or too unwell to travel.

Did Not Attend (DNA) Impact
We continue to work hard to minimise missed appointments, which significantly reduce availability for other patients.
September:
DNAs: 140
Clinical time lost: 2,195 minutes
October:
DNAs: 192
Clinical time lost: 2,509 minutes
November:
DNAs: 134
Clinical time lost: 2,195 minutes

Even with reminder messages, DNA rates remain higher than we would like. Our team contacts patients who repeatedly miss appointments to support them in cancelling in advance wherever possible.

Telephone Access, Care Navigation & Administrative Support
Our administrative team consists of 17 highly trained staff, including three secretaries. All receptionists are trained Care Navigators, skilled in gathering the right information to direct patients safely and effectively to the most suitable clinician.
Our callback system allows patients to hold their place in the queue without waiting on the line, and patients calling to cancel appointments are automatically brought to the front of the queue so we can quickly reallocate appointments.

Recognition of Our Reception Team
We would like to acknowledge the hard work and dedication of our reception team, who are at the frontline of patient care every day. They manage increasing demand and a wide range of queries, often under challenging circumstances, and sometimes face verbal abuse or aggression. Their professionalism and resilience are vital to providing safe, timely and effective care.

Understanding ANP Roles and Safe Clinical Allocation

Our Advanced Nurse Practitioners are highly trained clinicians who can assess, diagnose, treat and prescribe for a wide range of conditions. They support rapid access to care and help ensure GP appointments remain available for patients with complex needs. Our Care Navigators ensure patients are directed to the most appropriate clinician first time.

Training Practice – Additional Appointment Capacity
As a GP training practice, we support the development of future GPs. Our trainees work closely under GP supervision, increasing our appointment capacity for patients.

Our Patient Population and Future Planning
We currently care for over 12,500 patients across Culcheth, Croft, Glazebury, Rixton, Leigh, Fearnhead, Birchwood and Padgate.
We are working closely with the ICB regarding proposed housing developments that may increase demand. Our GP partners are progressing plans to increase the floor space in the surgery.
Extended Access and PCN Appointment Capacity

To enhance accessibility, we provide:
Extended opening every Tuesday until 9pm
Early opening every Friday from 7am with a GP, Nurse, ANP and Phlebotomist on site
Weekend appointments at the PCN hub every weekend
A monthly Saturday clinic at Culcheth
Appointments are delivered by a multidisciplinary team including GPs, ANPs, Nurses, Pharmacists, First Contact Practitioners and a home-visiting paramedic.

Phlebotomy Services
We fully fund our on-site phlebotomy service, which many practices no longer offer. We feel strongly that keeping blood tests local is especially important for elderly and vulnerable patients.

Patient Feedback and Engagement
We value patient feedback and regularly collect Friends and Family Test responses. These are reviewed monthly and discussed with both staff and our Patient Participation Group (PPG). The PPG acts as a “critical friend,” providing constructive support to help shape and improve the care we deliver.

Our Commitment to Being Approachable and Supportive
We would also like to emphasise that we are always approachable, and we actively encourage any patient who is experiencing difficulties obtaining an appointment, or who has specific communication or access needs, to contact us directly. Our team will always take the time to listen, understand the issue, and work with the patient to find a suitable solution. Ensuring equitable access for all patients is extremely important to us, and we are committed to providing additional support wherever it is needed.
We hope this information reassures our patients of our ongoing commitment to accessible, high-quality, patient-centred care.

Dr Animesh Sinha & Dr James Macbeth – GP Partners at Culcheth Medical Centre