2:12pm Friday 1st August 2008
By Charlie Campbell
PATIENTS in Redbridge have slammed the quality of GP care, according to a damning new report.
Of 35 questions put to residents about standards of care, the borough’s Primary Care Trust (PCT) was rated ‘poor’ for 19 and did not receive a single ‘above average’ score.
People in Redbridge were the least satisfied in the country on three issues - availability of advice on weight control (only 49 per cent satisfied), advice on exercise (27 per cent) and advice on alcohol consumption (42 per cent).
Only 82.6 per cent of respondents thought their local health centre was clean - the second worst figure in the country after neighbouring Waltham Forest.
Former Redbridge Patient Involvement Forum chairman Dharam Sahdev has demanded action.
He said: “It doesn’t surprise me in the least as the whole of Redbridge PCT are not performing the duties properly.
“The PCT are failing the public and has not been following the national policy of monitoring their GP’s practices.
“If they are just left to their own devices they will provide anyone with the standard of care necessary. The patients shouldn’t tell the doctor what is wrong, it should be down to the PCT.”
Questions on the Healthcare Commmission survey released on Thursday ranged from ease of making an appointment, waiting times, attentiveness of doctors, receiving specialist referrals and advice on medicines.
Nationally, 74 per cent of people said that the main reason they went to see their GP was dealt with “completely” to their satisfaction.
Dr Pratibha Datta, Director of Public Health for Redbridge PCT, said: “The PCT has allocated an additional £15.3m on health services this year and will be addressing a number of key issues raised
in the survey as part of our on-going work to encourage people to live healthier life styles. “Obesity is a growing problem, especially among the young and we will be spending £1m during 2008-9 including working with overweight children and their families.
"We will also be piloting an Exercise on Referral scheme in the autumn where GPs will refer patients with relevant health issues to gyms and fitness coaches to work on an appropriate exercise programme. The PCT will subsidise the cost of this project and hopes to roll it out across the remainder of the borough the following year.
“A major hygiene campaign called Clean your Hands recently introduced widespread ‘wet, wash, soap, rinse, dry’ signage and labelled alcohol hand-gel dispensers in all PCT run buildings.
“It’s important to remember that people do have to take personal responsibility for their health. It’s all too easy to blame someone else when it comes to ill health that can be prevented by a healthier diet and regular exercise.”
Visit heathcarecommission.org.uk to view the report in full.
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