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Green Porch Medical Centre, in Sittingbourne, rated as one of the worst in 2023 NHS GP Patient Surgery

A doctors’ surgery has been rated as one of the worst in the country.

Only 17% of patients at Green Porch Medical Centre in Sittingbourne ranked their care as “good”, according to data from the 2023 NHS GP Patient Survey.

17 per cent of patients said their care was “good”
17 per cent of patients said their care was “good”

The research showed just one in 10 patients registered to England’s GP practices were happy with their personal care, according to numbers analysed by the Daily Mail.

But overall, 71% of respondents rated their GP practice as “good”, and seven in 10 ranked it as “fairly good” or “very good”.

Yet, in Sittingbourne, less than 20% ranked Green Porch as “good”, earning it the second spot for the worst-ranked practice in England.

Speaking on behalf of the surgery, the director of primary care for NHS Kent and Medway, Sukh Singh, who didn’t specifically refer to the practice, said: “GPs across Kent and Medway continue to work hard to see patients as quickly as possible and are committed to giving patients a positive experience.

“Practices are offering more appointments than ever before, with 10 million offered last year.

“We continue to invest in practices across Kent and Medway to improve patient access and experience and will use the results of the survey as part of our improvement plans.

Its latest CQC report says it “requires improvement” but it was ranked “good” in three sections
Its latest CQC report says it “requires improvement” but it was ranked “good” in three sections

“We are currently asking the people of Kent and Medway for their ideas on how we can improve general practice across the county.”

The surgery in Green Porch Close has come under fire in the past as it was rated the worst of Sittingbourne and Sheppey's 11 surgeries for same-day appointments last year.

Patients have often complained of trouble getting through by phone and of long wait times for appointments.

In 2022, it was rated “inadequate” by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) but following an inspection earlier this year this has since improved to “requires improvement”.

It was awarded a “good” rating by inspectors for being safe, effective and well-led and “requires improvement” for being caring and responsive.

The Daily Mail reported satisfaction in GP practices has dropped nationally as people struggle to get appointments and give up trying to see a doctor altogether.

Green Porch Medical Centre has been rated as the second worst GP surgery in England
Green Porch Medical Centre has been rated as the second worst GP surgery in England

And when they cannot secure an appointment, the survey shows people are instead turning to A&E.

In 2021, around 282,000 people went to the emergency department when they could not get through to a doctor. This has grown to 696,000 people by 2023.

Speaking to the Mail, Dr Michael Mulholland, honorary secretary of the Royal College of GPs, said the results show “an over-stretched and over-burdened service”.

He said: “The vast majority of patients had confidence and trust in the highly-qualified professionals they encountered at their last appointment — and it is reassuring to see that in over 90% of cases patients felt that their needs were met.

“This is testament to the fact that, regardless of pressures, GPs and their teams are doing an excellent job for their patients.

“It is always difficult to hear when patients report unsatisfactory experiences or have difficulties accessing our services. Yet we do share their frustrations — GPs and our teams want to be able to deliver safe, timely and appropriate care for their patients.

The data comes from the 2023 NHS GP Patient Surgery
The data comes from the 2023 NHS GP Patient Surgery

“But we are delivering millions more appointments every month, but with 930 fewer GPs compared to 2019.”

Thousands of people were asked to rank their surgery, however, only some did complete the survey meaning the figures may not be an accurate reflection of each’s surgery’s performance.

It assessed the performance of more than 6,400 practices across the nation.

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