Enter and View Report: Nash Pharmacy

What is an Enter and View visit?

The Health and Social Care Act 2012 allows local Healthwatch Authorised Representatives to observe service delivery and talk to service users, their families and carers on premises such as hospitals, care homes, GP practices, and pharmacies. We also interview management and staff regarding their views of the service provided. The aim is to get an impartial view of how the service is operated and being experienced.

Enter and View visits can be arranged if people tell us there’s a problem with a service, but equally, they can also occur when services have a good reputation – so we can learn about and share examples of what they do well from the perspective of people who experience the service first hand.

Following the visits, our official ‘Enter and View Report’, will be shared with the service provider, local commissioners and regulators outlining what has worked well, and give recommendations on what could have worked better. All reports are available to view on our website.

Project Background

On 31^st January 2024, the government and NHS England launched the Pharmacy First Scheme to give patients quick and accessible care, and ease pressures on GP services. It allows community pharmacies to independently supply prescription-only medication, including antibiotics and antivirals where clinically appropriate.

The rationale for conducting the Enter and View visit to Massingham Pharmacy was based on data gathered from public engagement, surveys, and online feedback (NHS Reviews and Google Reviews). 

The main aim of the visit was to gain a better understanding of the pharmacy’s operations, patient experience, and the measures in place to manage its growing service demand. We also wanted to assess how they manage the additional services they provide and address areas where improvements could be made. 

Overall, our visit to Massingham Chemist was deemed a positive experience with some areas of improvement identified. The pharmacy excelled aspects such as accessibility, the quality of the environment, clarity of their signage, information displayed and positive staff-customer interactions.

The following were the recommendations for improvement, to which the pharmacy manager has responded to within the full report:

1. Improve feedback accessibility – Introduce a visible feedback box or digital feedback system to make it easier for patients to share their
   experiences.
2. Enhance seating in the waiting area – Replace or refurbish worn-out chairs to improve patient comfort.
3. Address stock shortages – Improve stock management to reduce the need for patients to return multiple times for medications.
4. Optimise signage and displayed information – Ensure services,
   Healthwatch Tower Hamlets materials, and updated COVID-19 guidance are clearly visible.
5. Fix infrastructure issues – Repair automatic door sensors and evaluate whether the out-of-service health check machine should be removed or replaced.
6. Reduce clutter – Keep the entrance and waiting area clear of storage crates to improve accessibility.
7. Streamline service efficiency – Consider additional computers and soft skills training for staff to better manage high patient volumes and
   interactions.