Patient Voice Improving GP Access, UK

Main Category: Primary Care / General Practice
Also Included In: Public Health
Article Date: 16 Jul 2008 - 5:00 PDT

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The Government welcomed the results of the second annual GP Patient Access Survey which reveals improvements in patient satisfaction and experience. The results, published by The NHS Information Centre, reflect the important role patient feedback plays in shaping and improving NHS services.

The Access survey, the biggest patient survey of its kind in the UK, involved almost two million patients in January-March this year. It was conducted for the first time last year and the improvements today's results show are a measure of success for GP practices which have responded to their patients' needs.

Key findings include:
(Last years figures in brackets)

- 87% of people reported satisfaction with their ability to get through to their practice on the phone (86%)

- 87% of people who tried to get an appointment with a GP in 48 hours reported they were able to do so (86%)

- 77% of people who wanted to book ahead for an appointed reported they could do so (75%)

- 88% of people who wanted an appointment with a particular GP (even if meant waiting longer) reported they could do so (88%)

- 82% of people said they were satisfied with their GP practices current opening hours (84%). Of the 18% dissatisfied:

- 44% said this was because their practice was not open on a Saturday
- 31% said this was because their practice was not open late enough in the evening

Health Minister Ben Bradshaw said:

"The survey results are a real measure of success for those GPs and their staff who have listened to what their patients think and who have responded with even better access to GP appointments. I congratulate those practices.

"I also want to thank the two million patients who took the time to respond to the survey as these results show the difference patients' feedback can make to the services they receive.

"The NHS now needs to respond to what this latest data is telling us. It is clear patients increasingly need access to primary care at more convenient times. Since the survey took place over a quarter of GP practices have begun to offer extended opening hours and from 2009 the 152 new GP-led health centres around the country will continue to improve provision."

National Director for Primary Care, David Colin-Thome said:

"The higher ratings for those GP practices who responded to their patients' views are a huge appreciation of their services. As ever we can improve further and I would urge any GP or practice team member that has not already done so to review my and Professor Mayur Lakhani's recent reports on improving access to consider how they can apply or improve on the recommendations made."

Patients can access the results of the survey on the NHS Choices website (http://www.nhs.uk) to find out how their practice compares to others locally.

1. Further research released today shows that 93% of patients who were referred for further treatment discussed choice of hospital with their GP. Just under 7,000 practices took part in the choice survey that GPs were asked to give to all eligible patients between January and March this year.

2. The Department of Health is also announcing today the reappointment of Ipsos MORI to continue delivery of the GP Patient Survey for the next 3 years. This follows a full and open competition by tender.

3. The appointment means from next year the survey will ask a broader range of questions about the quality of services to provide even more information about whether practices are delivering the best services for their patients. In the following year, the survey will move to being run every quarter ensuring availability of timely patient feedback to the NHS. This new survey will also be delivered at a significantly reduced cost.

For the Access part of the survey, fieldwork took place from early January 2008 to the end of March 2008. Questionnaire forms were mailed directly to a sample of patients from each practice; completed questionnaires were returned directly by patients to Ipsos MORI for data entry and analysis.

For the Choice part of the survey, fieldwork took place between 21 January and 28 March 2008. GP practices were asked to give a questionnaire form to every adult patient who was referred to secondary care for a condition where the Choice policy applies. Completed questionnaires were then returned directly by patients to Ipsos MORI for data entry and analysis.

The results of the survey can also be found at: http://www.ic.nhs.uk/pubs/gpps08

Department of Health, UK