Archived: The Loxford Walk-in-Centre

Updated 4 November 2019

The provider of the service is Healthbridge Direct Limited. This is a group of local general practitioners who have agreed to work together to offer a health service provided by clinicians with expertise in, understanding of, and commitment to their local communities. Healthbridge Direct has three executive board members and nine local clinical lead directors, who are all local GPs with practices in the London borough of Redbridge. The clinical team are supported by a delivery team of seven led by a Federation/Business Manager and includes an operations manager and several administrative/reception staff.

Healthbridge Direct Limited employs a mixture of approximately 58 male and female GP’s to provide patient facing consultation services.

Healthbridge Direct Limited has contracted with BHR GP solutions a separate company that provides the call centre at the walk-in centre and across the out of hours hub services that Healthbridge Direct also provide.

The walk-in service is commissioned by the Local Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) not only for the residents of Redbridge, but for any individual living outside the borough who wishes to see a clinician on the day.

The management team for Healthbridge Direct Limited is based at The Vintry, Redbridge Lane East, IG4 5EY

The walk-in centre is located on the ground floor of the Loxford Polyclinic, 417 Ilford Lane, Ilford IG1 2SN. Patients wishing to see a clinician can attend the Loxford Polyclinic where they will be given an appointment slot to see the clinician on site that day. Local practices, the accident and emergency unit of the local hospital and NHS 111 services unable to provide a same day appointment to their patients, can redirect patients to the walk-in centre.

The service operates from Monday to Sunday from 8am to 8pm.

The provider Healthbridge Direct Limited is registered with the CQC to provide the regulated activity treatment of disease, disorder and injury, family planning and diagnostics and screening procedures.

Updated 4 November 2019

The key questions are rated as:

Are services safe? – Good

Are services effective? – Good

Are services caring? – Good

Are services responsive? – Good

Are services well-led? – Good

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at The Loxford Walk-In Centre on 11 September 2019 as part of our inspection programme of primary care services.

At this inspection we found:

• The service had good systems to manage risk so that safety incidents were less likely to happen. When they did happen, the service learned from them and improved their processes.
• The service routinely reviewed the effectiveness and appropriateness of the care it provided. It ensured that care and treatment was delivered according to evidence- based guidelines.
• Staff involved and treated people with compassion, kindness, dignity and respect.
• Patients were able to access care and treatment from the service within an appropriate timescale for their needs.
• The service had systems for sharing information with staff and amongst relevant stakeholders to ensure them to deliver safe care and treatment.
• There was a strong focus on continuous learning and improvement at all levels of the organisation.
• There was regular communication between the provider and the location from where services were being delivered to ensure that local policies for building management where compliant with the providers policies.
• Staff we spoke we were able to describe the service ethos, told us the management were approachable and were happy to work at the service.

Dr Rosie Benneyworth BM BS BMedSci MRCGP

Chief Inspector of Primary Medical Services and Integrated Care