“A turning point for Easton”: Charlotte Keel celebrates first-phase transformation under 15-year BrisDoc Leadership
Charlotte Keel Medical Practice celebrated the first phase of its transformation on Friday 12 September 2025, welcoming patients and local residents alongside Helen Godwin (Mayor of the West of England), Kerry McCarthy (MP for Bristol East), leaders from BNSSG NHS Integrated Care Board, and local voluntary and community partners.
Awarded a 15-year contract by Bristol, North Somerset & South Gloucestershire Integrated Care Board, the practice now has the stability to commit to long-term improvements. BrisDoc Healthcare Services, which manages the practice, is a Bristol-based social enterprise that has provided NHS services for over 20 years and was Highly Commended as HSJ Primary and Community Care Provider of the Year 2024.
The first wave of improvements is already visible: practical inclusion at the front door, continuity of care by design, a one-stop clinic for people who have drug addiction issues, and targeted innovations for communities who often face healthcare inequalities.
About Charlotte Keel Medical Practice
Based in the heart of Easton, Charlotte Keel serves one of Bristol’s most vibrant and diverse populations. The practice provides trauma-informed, culturally sensitive care and works to reduce inequalities linked to language, housing or social challenges. Alongside GPs and nurses, the multidisciplinary team includes care coordinators, health navigators, interpreters, counsellors, welfare advisers and drug-project liaison workers, supported by strong links with the voluntary sector. Charlotte Keel is part of the BrisDoc Primary Care Network (PCN), collaborating locally to deliver seamless, community-based care.
What’s new
- A waiting room designed to improve care: a self-serve Health Pod now lets patients record weight, height, blood pressure, pulse, BMI and more while they wait. Results flow straight into patients’ medical records so the team can proactively monitor changes. A patient PC enables digital access for residents with limited connectivity. New self-check-in screens, a hearing loop, a quiet area for those who need low-stimulus space, and clearer signage improve navigation. Care Coordinators and Health Link interpreters are on-site to support anyone who finds the system hard to navigate.
- Continuity by design: since April 2025, the booking system routes patients to their named GP or micro-team by default. Usual Provider of Care (UPOC) is tracked by age, gender, ethnicity and deprivation so continuity benefits every part of the community.
- Open Doors Clinic: a one-stop session for people who use drugs—longer, flexible appointments; support around substance-misuse prescribing; same-day bloods, immunisations, screening and referrals; and a clear follow-up plan—co-run with Bristol Drugs Project.
- Targeted screening & immunisations: in-language group sessions and 1:1 counselling (e.g. cervical screening), plus opportunistic offers during other appointments so fewer chances are missed.
- Power Up Movement Programme (PUMP): funded by the BrisDoc Community Fund, PUMP pairs people with a Physical Activity Social Prescriber for a short 1:1 and matches them to free or low-cost local options—from gentle classes to walking groups.
- Learning Disability & Dementia health checks: longer and quieter appointments, interpreters, and familiar staff.
- Greener, safer prescribing: structured deprescribing and lower-carbon prescribing embedded in routine care, building on a Green Impact for Health Gold award (Sept 2024).
What’s next — 2025/26
Community Health & Wellbeing Workers (CHW): locally trusted community members from BS2/BS5—speaking Somali, Arabic, Urdu, Polish, Romanian and more—will go out into the community to build trust, help households register, book vaccines and screening, run pop-up blood-pressure checks, and address concerns—for example, MMR worries within the Somali community.
Community drop-ins in the waiting area: weekly sessions to boost digital skills and widen access to support.
Voices from the day
Dr Andrea Priestley, Lead GP, Charlotte Keel Medical Practice:
“Today marks a turning point. A 15-year contract lets us plan for the future. We’ve redesigned access from the front door—a calmer space, on-hand navigators and interpreting, and simple digital help—practical inclusion that makes a difference. My thanks to the ICB team, including David Jarrett, Jenny Bowker and Susie McMullen, for listening to patients and backing a long-term solution.”
Karl Ritchie, patient and community champion (aged 87):
“Dr Nabi (Lead GP at CKMP) has helped me enormously—not just medically, but spiritually and emotionally too. Listening is the key to good service—and that’s what I’ve found at Charlotte Keel. This practice is more than a clinic—it is a community.”
Kerry McCarthy, MP for Bristol East:
“This is a community-centred model that recognises the reality of inner-city care—interpreters, longer appointments and outreach aren’t extras; they’re essential. I’m pleased to see a long-term commitment from BrisDoc so services can be shaped around real lives.”
Helen Godwin, Mayor of the West of England:
“Health, transport, housing and skills are inseparable. My door is open to connect the dots so people can actually reach the care they need. Charlotte Keel shows how collaboration can reduce inequalities.”
Early signals
The practice is seeing strong engagement with Open Doors, increased NHS App use, and more on-the-spot bookings for screening and immunisations. A fuller outcomes’ update will be published later this year. In parallel, Charlotte Keel will continue to co-design improvements with patients, staff and partners—including Sirona Health Links, Caafi Health, Nilaari and local pharmacy teams.
Charlotte Keel Medical Practice has long stood as a beacon in an underserved area. Acknowledging the gap is only the first step; the task now – for healthcare teams, commissioners, system partners and community leaders – is to close it, together, and ensure this community receives the healthcare it needs and deserves.
