Enter & View Reports: Synergise Pharmacy and Elm Tree Medical Centre

Synergise Pharmacy Enter & View

Healthwatch Stockton-on-Tees returned to Synergise Pharmacy as part of a follow‑up to our 2024 pharmacy engagement work.

The original Enter & View programme identified a number of themes across the Borough, including:

• Varied public awareness of Pharmacy First
• Ongoing medication shortages
• Privacy concerns in some settings

• Challenges in communication between pharmacies and GP practices
• Staff under growing pressure amid increasing demand

This follow‑up visit aimed to understand what progress Synergise Pharmacy had made, hear directly from staff about any changes since 2024, and observe current practice within the pharmacy environment.

Purpose of the follow-up

The aim of this follow‑up was to:

• Gather updates from staff on actions taken since the initial Enter & View
• Observe the environment and interactions within the pharmacy
• Understand whether earlier concerns had been addressed
• Identify ongoing or emerging challenges
• Strengthen our ongoing monitoring as the local system begins to transition to a Neighbourhood Health model

This visit was short and focused, and therefore public feedback captured on the day was limited. 

Findings in this report reflect a combination of staff-reported information and direct Healthwatch observations.

"Staff were friendly, helpful and respectful."

"Medication shortages remain a significant pressure."

Elm Tree Medical Centre Enter & View

Healthwatch Stockton-on-Tees has consistently received positive feedback about Elm Tree Medical Centre, particularly in relation to access to appointments, staff approach, and overall patient experience. 

Because of this, we carried out an Enter & View visit to better understand what is working well and identify learning that could support other GP practices.

What we found

Feedback from patients, staff and our observations during the visit highlighted a service that is well organised, responsive, and strongly focused on patient experience.

"People told us they felt listened to."

"Staff described a supportive, team environment."