Colchester Ambrose Avenue GP surgery 'requires improvement'

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has given Ambrose Avenue Group Practice an overall rating of requires improvement after a visit to the surgery in Ambrose Avenue, Colchester.

A report published on Thursday brought into question the surgery’s care, responsiveness, and leadership, although the practice was rated good for safety and effectiveness.

Inspectors visited the GP surgery, which cares for more than 15,000 people, in December after concerned patients complained about access to the practice and a declining service because of a high turnover of staff.

The CQC published its findings on Thursday (Image: Unsplash)

The regulator said the patient experience “had declined over the last three years” and that a high staff turnover had led to “a lack of consistency and confidence in staff”.

What do patients think of Ambrose Avenue Group Practice?

Kerry Griffith, who has been registered at the surgery for two years, is “not surprised” by what the inspection found.

The 48-year-old said: “Every time I ring the surgery I wait hours to get through and then they aren’t able to offer me anything.

“I’ve been paying my national insurance all these years and the quality of care for patients is absolutely appalling.

“I’m now considering changing surgery. I can’t deal with not getting appointments, spending an hour and a half on the phone, inconsistent staffing, and a lack of patient care. It’s just appalling.”

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Just 12.4 per cent of patients said it was easy to contact the surgery over the phone when surveyed last year, the CQC added.

Another patient, who did not want to be named, said the availability of appointments is so bad they consider themselves “to not have access to a GP”.

“I have only been able to see nurses about my chronic asthma and even that I now cannot get an appointment for,” they said.

“Last time I tried to get an appointment for something else, they told me I could not get one at all unless I took a day off work.”

What does the surgery say?

The surgery says access issues have been caused by a persistent issue with its telephone system.

"We also acknowledge that due to recent resignation and retirements of four GPs we have had staffing issues," it said.

A spokesman added the surgery is working to improve the areas highlighted as needing improvement by the CQC.