2011 Patient Survey
 

The 2011 Patient Survey was undertaken with the kind help of the practice Patient Participation Group. Members of the group attended morning and afternoon surgeries throughout the week of 5th – 9th July 2011 and actively engaged the patients in the survey process by explaining the purpose of the GPAC questionnaire and listening to their views on the practice. PPG members performed an invaluable role by answering patient queries, checking that the returned forms had been completed fully and promoting the Patient Participation Group by distributing copies of the latest Practice Newsletter.

The results of the survey were very good overall and the practice scored higher than the national average in all but one area. It was agreed that the results would form the basis of an Action Plan for Improvement.

Click here to see the Patient Survey results in full

Discussion with the PPG
Results of the survey were considered at a special meeting of the Patient Participation Group on Wednesday 5th October 2011. Members of the PPG agreed that the results overall were very positive. Items of particular note were:

Surgery opening hours

• 87% of respondents stated that they felt that the existing opening hours were good, very good or excellent.
• Only 13% of respondents rated the existing opening hours as fair, poor or very poor.
• Where additional hours were requested, evenings/weekends were the most popular choice

→ Action point: The practice reported that it may be difficult to implement an extension to opening times within the resources currently available. However, it was agreed that the practice would keep this under review and revisit it should additional resources become available.

Access to Appointments

• 68% of respondents rated the availability of their choice of doctor as good, very good or excellent.
• 78% of respondents rated the availability of any doctor as good, very good or excellent.
• From the respondents’ general comments however, it was clear that a significant proportion did not fully understand the way in which the appointment system works. For example, many believed that an appointment could only be booked on the day and were not aware of the facility to book up to four weeks in advance.

→ Action point: Previous efforts to improve patient awareness about the facility to book in advance have clearly not been effective. Members of the PPG agreed that this issue required a more innovative approach to patient education. The practice suggested the possibility of installing a digital patient information screen to communicate key facts about the appointment system and other services offered by the practice. It was agreed that the Patients’ Trust Fund be approached with a view to funding the purchase.

As an adjunct, the group proposed that the music on hold on the telephone system should be replaced with a bespoke message giving information about the appointment system and advanced booking.

Telephone Access

• 61.5% of respondents reported their satisfaction with phoning through to the practice as good, very good or excellent
• PPG members noted this performance but felt that improvement in response times was required.
• The practice reported recent successful implementation of two new initiatives to improve patient convenience i.e. online appointment booking and online requesting of prescriptions.

These initiatives will also relieve pressure on the telephone system which will, in turn, enable staff to improve response time. However, it was agreed that additional focus on telephone response times is still required.

→ Action point: Reception staff will be briefed on patient experience and asked to improve performance in this area.

Patient Communication

• Members asked that the results of the survey and the agreed action plan should be circulated as widely as possible.

→ Action point: Survey report and final action plan to be uploaded to the practice website and a report included in the next edition of the PPG newsletter.

Timeframe
The timeframe for completion of the above action points is 30th June 2012. Progress against these targets will monitored and reviewed on a monthly basis.

If you would like to get involved with the practice Patient Survey in 2012, email us at admin@abbeymedical.com  or leave your contact details at Reception.

Information on this website is for registered patients only and should not be used as a substitute for seeking advice from a GP.
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