NHS at 70 (2) - current state of services in E7

In 2016 we published details of GP surgeries in E7, and how they were rated by their patients (see here). The article was based on the information supplied by the NHS's national website: NHS Choices.

This article updates the information and tracks significant developments, and extends its scope, by using the same website to assess the position of local dentists and pharmacies in Forest Gate, today.

E 7 - General Practitioners

There are 14 GP surgeries based in E7 today, as there were at the time of our earlier article (August 2016), although some of their names have been changed - mainly to "depersonalise" them, as the notion of surgeries being known by the name of the principal doctor is gradually eroding, and multi doctor partnerships are becoming the norm.

The list below presents the surgeries in alphabetical order, with former names included in brackets in their titles.

The number of patients registered to E7 GPs shot up by a remarkable 17% between these two snapshot looks at the data - from 77,265 to 90,630. But the number of GPs serving those surgeries rose by an even more impressive 30% - from 48 to 62 over the period.

So, the average number of patients per E7 registered GP has declined from 1 to 1,609 to 1 to 1,462 during that short time.

Within these figures there was a relative increase in the percentage of female GPs working in the surgeries, rising from 37% (18 of the total in 2016) to 42% (rising from 26 to 36 of the total today).

All local surgeries offer an electronic prescription service and on-line appointments.

E7's  GP surgeries have a relatively low approval rating amongst their patents, compared to the national average, according to the figures supplied by NHS Choices, but they are improving.

In 2016, 12 of E7's 14 surgeries had below average figures for patients who would recommend their surgery to others. The only two surgeries who performed within the national average range for recommendations were Claremont Clinic and the Woodgrange Medical Practice - two of the area's larger practices.

The present survey indicates that four more local surgeries have joined them in having patients who would recommend them, within the mid rage of national figures. They are Abiola, Driver and Partners, Krishnamurthy's Practice and Shrewsbury Summit.

The three best local surgeries for patient recommendations are: Claremont (86.1% and rising), Woodgrange (84.3% and rising) and Abiola (72.4% and rising). The three worst are: Birchdale (44.3% and falling), Upton Lane (37% and falling) and Boleyn (26.5% and falling).

NHS Choices offers a patient-lead "Star rating" for each surgery locally. These ratings are based on a relatively small sample of patients writing in, and do not correlate very well with the recommendations rating - based on much larger samples of patient opinion.

For what it's worth, the top three star ratings of local surgeries are: Claremont, 4.5 (up from 4), Woodgrange, 4 (up from 3) and Shrewsbury Centre, 4 (up from 2).  And the bottom four are: Driver and Partners and Westbury, both 2.5 (both down from 3), Summit, 1.5 (down from 2.5) and Boleyn, 1.5 (static).

Dr Abiola, 121 Woodgrange Road, E7 0EP. Tel: 020 8250 7550

Registered patients: 3,896 (2016: 3,761)

GPs in practice: 2 (1f, 1m) (2016: same)

72.4% of patients would recommend the practice - mid range, nationally. (2016: 62.5%, amongst the worst)

3.5 Star rating (2016: 4.5)

Birchdale Road Medical Centre, 2 Birchdale Rd, E7 8AR. Tel: 020 8472 1600

Registered patients: 3,237 (2016: 3,285)

GPs in practice: 2 (1f, 1m) (unchanged)

44.3% of patients would recommend the practice - amongst the worst, nationally. (2016: 56.6% and amongst the worst)

3 Star rating (2016: 2)  

Boleyn Rd Practice, 162 Boleyn Rd, E7 9QJ. Tel: 020 8503 5656

Registered patients: 6,534 (2016: 7,226)

GPs in practice: 2 (2m) (unchanged)

26.5% of patients would recommend the practice - amongst the worst, nationally. (2016: 35%, and amongst the worst)

1.5 Star rating (2016: 1.5)

Boleyn Road Practice - lowest public rating in E7

Claremont Clinic, 459 - 463 Romford Rd, E7 8AB. Tel: 020 8522 0222

Registered patients: 9,800 (2016: 8,719)

GPs in practice: 5 (2f, 3m) (2016: 6 (3f, 3m))

86.1% of patients would recommend the practice - mid range, nationally. (2016: 79.4%, mid range)

4.5 Star rating (2016: 4.5)

Claremont Clinic - highest rating by patients

Driver and Partners, Little Lister Health Centre, 121 Woodgrange Rd, E7 0EP. Tel: 020 8250 7510

Registered patients: 6,151 (2016: 6,930)

GPs in practice: 6 (4f, 2m) (2016: 4 (2f, 2m))

69.6% of patients would recommend the practice - mid range, nationally. (2016: 66.1%, among the worst)

2.5 Star rating (2016: 3)

Driver and Partners, at the Lord Lister Clinic:
 medium sized practice with mid range satisfaction rating

Krishnamurthy's Practice, East Ham Memorial Hospital, Shrewsbury Road, E7 8QR. Tel: 020 8250 6555

Registered patients: 2,043 (2016: 2,006)

GPs in practice: 2 (2m) (2016: same)

 69.9% of patients would recommend the practice - mid range, nationally. (2016: 65.3%, amongst the worst)

3 Star rating (2016: 2)

Dr CM Patel, 2 Jepson Road, E7 8LZ. Tel: 020 8470 6429

Registered patients: 2,163 (2,112)

GPs in practice: 2 (1f, 1m) (2016: same)

60.8 % of patients would recommend the practice - amongst the worst, nationally. (2016: 62.1%, amongst the worst)

3 Star rating (2016: 3.5)

Sangam Surgery (previously Govind Bapna), 511 Katherine Road, E7 8DR. Tel: 0202 8472 7029

Registered patients: 11,161 (2016: 1,084)

GPs in practice: 3 (2f,1m) (2016: 1 (1m))

63.5% of patients would recommend the practice - amongst worst, nationally. (2016: 63.5 % and amongst the worst)

3 Star rating (2016: 2.5)

Shrewsbury Centre (previously Shrewsbury Road Surgery), Shrewsbury Rd, E7 8QP. Tel: 020 8586 5111

Registered patients: 13,682 (2016: 12,848)

GPs in practice: 8 (3f, 5m) (2016: 5 (2f, 3m))

68.9% of patients would recommend the practice - mid range, nationally (2016: 63.4%, amongst the worst)

4 Star rating (2016: 2)

The Summit Practice (previously A Yesufa), East Ham Memorial Building, Shrewsbury Road, E7 8QR. Tel: 020 8552 2299

Registered patients: 2,554 (2016: 2,417)

GPs in practice: 2 (2m), (2016: 1 (1m))

67.3 % of patients would recommend the practice - mid range, nationally. (2016: 62.9%, amongst worst)

1.5 Star rating (2016: 2.5)

Summit: Star rating down,
but recommendation rate up

Dr Swedan and Partner, Little Lister Health Centre, 121 Woodgrange Rd, E7 0EP. Tel: 020 8250 7530

Registered patients: 2,983 (2016: 3,121)

GPs in practice: 4 (2f, 2m) (2016: 3 (2f, 1m))

51.5 % of patients would recommend the practice - amongst the worst, nationally. (2016: 64.6%, amongst the worst)

3 Star rating (2016: 3.5)

Upton Lane Medical Centre (previously PD Shanker and Partners), 75 - 77 Upton Lane, E7 9PB. Tel: 020 8471 6912

Registered patients: 7,848 (2016: 7,240)

GPs in practice: 6 (3f, 3m) (2016: 4 (1f, 3m))

37 % of patients would recommend the practice - among the worst, nationally. (2016: 44.7%, amongst the worst)

3.5 Star rating (2016: 3)

New medical centre in Upton Lane,
 with poor recommendation rating

Westbury Road Medical Practice (previously Dr DK Mahmud and Dr SW Rahman), 45, Westbury Rd, E7 8BU. Tel: 020 8472 4128

Registered patients: 4,172 (2016: 4,199)

GPs in practice: 4 (2f, 2m) (2016: 3 (1f, 2m))

66% of patients would recommend the practice - among the worst, nationally. (2016: 53.5%, amongst the worst)

2.5 Star rating (2016: 3)

Woodgrange Medical Practice, 40 Woodgrange Road, E7 0QH. Tel: 020 8221 3100/3128

Registered patients: 14,406 (2016: 12,317)

GPs in practice: 14 (5f, 9m) (2016: 11 (4f, 7m))

84.3 % of patients would recommend the practice - mid range, nationally. (2016 - 70.0%, mid range)

4 Star rating (2016: 3)

Woodgrange Medical Practice - large and popular

E7 Dentists

NHS Choices supplies details of local NHS dentists, but the information is less helpful than that supplied about General Practitioners. For example, there appears to be no requirement for dentist listed to indicate where or not they take new NHS patients - a rather serious flaw from an NHS site.

Below are details of the four E7 dentists appearing on the site (in alphabetical order), and the scant, relevant information provided about them. Only two (Forest and Woodgrange) indicate that they are currently accepting both adult and child new NHS patients.

Forest Dental Practice, 0208 552 1010, 76 Upton Lane.

This surgery has four dental practitioners and has a star rating of 4 (out of 5), based on 12 patient reviews.

Green Street Surgery, 0208 472 0504, 244 Green Street.

This surgery has four dental practitioners and has a star rating of 3, based on 2 patient reviews.

Katherine Road Dental Practice, 0208 470 2043, 394 Katherine Road.

 This surgery has three dental practitioners and has a star rating of 4, based on 12 patient reviews.

Woodgrange Dental Practice, 0208 555 3336, 80 Woodgrange Road.

This surgery has four dental practitioners and has a star rating of 2.5, based on 7 patient reviews.

Woodgrange Dental Practice

E7 Pharmacies

There are nine E7 pharmacies recorded on the NHS Choices site, which provides useful live information on up-to-date opening hours and details of out-of hours services, for emergencies.

Beyond that, the site is pretty useless. No details are provided of qualified pharamcists at each surgery.  A totally pointless customer star ratings system operates.  The majority of the E7 units have not received a single rating, suggesting that even the chemists and their families do not take it seriously!

Pharmacies are required by the Department of Heath to conduct an annual patient/client survey and publish the results on the NHS Choices website.  However, no guidance is given as to how they should be reported.  Each pharmacy chooses its own method, usually highlighting aspects of the survey where they appear in the best light, or to simply publish the whole report, unsummarised.

The result is that no meaningful comparisons can be made, and as a communication to the public exercise, the unprescribed requirement is almost worthless.

Mansons, 0208 534 3212, 15 Woodgrange Road.

Mansons on Woodgrange Road

Mayors, 0208 472 9746, 45 Upton Lane.

Malchem, 0208 519 4126, 63 Woodgrange Road.

Malchem on Woodgrange Road

Shan, 0208 534 1775, 453, Romford Road.

Woodgrange Pharmacy, 0206 555 5660, 116-120 Woodgrange Road.

Sherman's 0208 534 2394, 100-102 Woodgrange Road.

Crailmay Pharmacy, 0208 472 2370, 70 Green Street.

Day Lewis, 0208 552 2603, 79 Upton Lane.

Akro Pharmacy, 0208 472 0461, 404 Katherine Road.

E7 Opticians

The NHS Choices website also covers local opticians, but other than providing details of phone numbers and opening times the site is useless. It has scarcely been updated since 2010 and there is only one review of services between the four local opticians featured.

Clearly, surveying the opticians has been abandoned.  Some might argue that this is a short-sighted policy. Boom, boom!

Forest Gate Eye Clinic, 020 8181 9171, 47 Woodford Road.

Forest Gate Opticians, 0208 534 5170, 94 Woodgrange Road.

Pradip Patel, 020 8555 8834, 34 Woodgrange Road.

Pradip Patel's Optician on Woodgrange Road

Super Optical, 020 8472 0949, 5 St Stephen's Parade, Green Street. (the one with the rating!)