GP Enter and View Report - The Village Medical Centre, Littleborough

Report - 14 December 2025

Healthwatch Rochdale representatives conducted an Enter and View visit at The Village Medical Centre, Littleborough on 23/09/2025 as part of a planned Quality Visit conducted by the Primary Care Team, GM Integrated Care HMR (Heywood, Middleton, and Rochdale locality). The Village Practice is a GP practice in Littleborough with a list size of approximately 4,200 patients and run by GP Care Services.

The purpose of the visit was to review how patients access GP services, including appointment booking systems, accessibility of information, and the overall patient experience including that of the Patient Participation Group (PPG). 

We spoke with three patients in the waiting area during the visit plus made observations and engaged with staff. There was a telephone mystery shopper review done the same week looking at appointments etc. This combined approach highlighted several areas for improvement to services for patients. 

Who was involved: 

▪ Moira Auchterlonie - Project Officer HWR 

▪ Claire Mason-Poole - Practice Manager 

▪ Kelly Vines - Director of Strategy and Resources, GP Care Services 

▪ Jackie Woodhall - Primary Care Commissioning Team

Downloads

The Village Practice - Enter and View report
Download (PDF 947 KB)

6-Month Update 

Following our Enter and View visit in September 2025, we issued several statutory recommendations focused on improving access, communication, and overall patient experience. In the months since, the practice has taken significant and proactive steps to respond to this feedback, implementing a range of extensive changes across its services and day-to-day operations.

Six months on, it is clear that the practice has engaged positively with our findings and has worked to make meaningful improvements. These changes have strengthened how patients access services, improved communication between staff and patients, and enhanced the overall experience of care.

It is encouraging to see the impact of these developments, with clear progress being made in addressing the issues originally identified and delivering improvements that are making a real difference for patients.

We said: Move the PPG banner to the waiting room to encourage wider patient involvement.
The Practice did:  Moved the banner to the waiting room to encourage wider patient involvement in the Patient Participation Group.

We said: Add a ‘Join Us’ link on to the PPG page of the practice website.
The Practice did: Updated the practice website to include a “join us” link for the Patient Participation Group.

We said: Keep copies of the practice newsletter at reception and waiting area to keep patients informed.
The Practice did: Quarterly newsletter left in reception area.

We said: Implement "you said we did" noticeboard to show the impact of patient feedback.
The Practice did: Add the comments onto the newsletter for patients to see any changes made and discuss at PPG.

We said: Share Healthwatch Rochdale report and discuss findings at a PPG meeting.
The Practice did: Share and discuss Healthwatch Rochdale’s Enter and View Report.  

Overall, these improvements demonstrate the positive impact that Healthwatch Rochdale has had in supporting service development at the practice. Through our Enter and View visit and subsequent statutory recommendations, we have helped highlight key areas for improvement based on patient experience. It is clear that the practice has taken this feedback seriously and used it to make meaningful changes that have enhanced access, strengthened communication, and improved the overall quality of care. This reflects the value of listening to patient voice and shows how constructive engagement between Healthwatch, and local services can lead to real, measurable improvements for patients.