DRS. FERGUSON, RAMSAY, JONES
McKINTY, BAMFORD, STEPHENSON & WELSH
Surgery Opening Hours
Bewick Crescent Surgery
Monday, Thursday and Friday - 8.30am - 6pm
Tuesday and Wednesday - 8.30am until 6pm, then 6-7.30pm by
appointment only
Heighington Surgery
No GP appointment system – walk in only.
Monday 9-10am, then 4.30pm – 5.30pm
Tuesday and Wednesday 9-10 am
Thursday 9.30 – 11.30am (nurse appointments) 4.50-5.30pm GP
appointments
Friday 9-10am.
Open Mon-Fri 11am to1.30pm for prescription collection and queries
only
Telephone number for both surgeries 0844 477 3708, telephone lines
open daily from 8am until 6pm.
Patient Participation Report 2011 -2012
Background
In 2011 the Department of Health introduced a new direct enhanced
service (DES) for general practice in relation to patient participation. This
is a two year DES which is effective from 1st April 2011 – 31st March
2013. As indicators relating to access within primary care have been
removed from the quality and outcomes framework (QOF). It is expected
that practices will still provide the same quality of access as they do
currently.
The purpose of the DES is to ensure patients are involved in decisions
about the range and quality of services provided. It aims to encourage
practices to work more closely with patients and enter into discussions
around changes that may need to be implemented to improve the
Issued 27th March 2012
services currently provided, the environment within the surgery or any
other issues which may be practice specific.
There are a number of key steps to the DES:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Develop a Patient Group to gain views of the patients.
Agree areas of priority
Collate patients views through the use of a survey
Provide the opportunity to discuss survey findings and agree any
recommendations
5. Agree an action plan with the group and changes to be
implemented
6. Publicise actions and subsequent achievement
At Bewick Crescent Surgery we already have a well established Patient
Group which meets quarterly to discuss how the practice operates and
the services available to patients registered with us. We would
particularly welcome a representative from the Heighington locality and
patients with young children.
We have advertised for new members on our website
http://www.bewickcrescentsurgery.nhs.uk , in the surgery and via word
of mouth through the existing patient group representatives. In addition
we have two younger patients who have agreed to let us have their
views. The group currently has 14 members. 11 females and 3 males
ranging in age from 17years to 74 years. One of the representatives has
recently volunteered to sit on the Sedgefield patient group which
consists of other representatives from the Sedgefield locality. This group
discusses developments to the services within the wider locality.
Aim
The Practice works closely with the members of the Patient group in
order to improve/maintain services currently provided. It helps identify
any areas which need to be addressed or look at new services which
may be required. It was hoped the patient survey would identify areas
where we can work together to ensure that patient awareness is raised
with regards to the services provided which in turn should have some
impact on improving patient experience.
Methodology
It was agreed at the September 2011 meeting to use the Primary Care
Trust (PCT) survey as a basis for the questions to be asked. This survey
contained 19 questions around the services offered by the practice. The
Issued 27th March 2012
patient group reviewed the questions and made changes to some
questions which were incorporated into the final version. (Copies of the
survey available upon request). They specifically requested a comments
section to be added after each question.
The survey was then published on the website and handed out over a
period of 2 weeks commencing 12th December 2011. Some
representatives of the patient group volunteered to sit in the waiting
room at Bewick Crescent surgery and hand out the questionnaire to
patients during this period. All questionnaires were anonymous and a
posting box was placed in the surgeries at both Heighington and Bewick
Crescent specifically for the questionnaires.
The results were discussed with the patient group at the 21st Mar 2012
meeting and areas of focus agreed.
The full results are available on request from our Practice Manager,
please contact if required.
Results/Analysis
We received 421 completed surveys which is 2.92% of our registered
practice population.
From the age/sex information we collected only 0.23% of responders
were under 16 years of age, 24% were 16-44years, 21% were 4564years, 15% were 65-74years and 12% were 75 years and over. 25%
of the responders were male and 44% were female, 31% preferred not
to answer this.
As predicted based on our practice patient population 81% of the
responders indicated their ethnic background as white, 0.5% were of
mixed ethnic groups and 19% preferred not to answer the question.
4.5% of the responders visited the practice at least once per week,
16.4% visited 1-2 times monthly, 24.2% visited less than monthly and
16.4% visited rarely. The remainder preferred not to answer this
question.
When asked if you had given feedback to your GP on the level of
satisfaction or experience of a service that you have been referred to
e.g. hospital or a community service in the last year. 43% had given
feedback, 15% had not and the remainder preferred not to answer this
question.
The questions.
How do you make an appointment with the GP/nurse?
We can see from the survey that the most popular method of booking
appointments is by using the telephone (66%) by person (22%), with
Issued 27th March 2012
only 6% using on line booking slots. The remaining 6% stated others
made appointment for them.
How helpful are the receptionists?
73% stated very helpful, 24% stated fairly helpful, 3% stated not very/not
at all helpful.
In the past six months how easy how you found the following
Very
Fairly
Not very Difficult
Not tried
easy
easy
easy
Speaking to a 12%
12%
5%
25%
46%
GP on the
phone
Speaking to a 19%
23%
4%
1%
53%
nurse on the
phone
Obtaining test 34%
35%
8%
4%
19%
results
Are you able 23%
35%
16%
8%
8%
to see a GP
on the same
day?
Ease
of 34%
27%
13%
19%
7%
booking
an
appointment
ahead
Getting
23%
49%
10%
13%
5%
through
on
the phone
Only 37% said they can see a Doctor they prefer on the same day,
however 69% stated that they could see any Doctor on the same day.
Waiting time
65% wait 15 minutes or less for an appointment, 11% wait over 30
minutes. With waiting times up to 45 minutes at the Heighington walk in
service.
Only 1.4% of the responders felt that this was too long. Some patients
didn’t respond to this question.
Opening hours
55% are very satisfied with the opening hours, 0,02% are not at all
satisfied with 3 to 4 comments around more evening opening hours and
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Saturday mornings for those who work and do the school runs. Some
patients didn’t respond to this question.
How satisfied were you with your last appointment with a doctor at
the surgery?
Very
Fairly
Neither
Very
satisfied
satisfied
satisfied
or dissatisfied
dissatisfied
Allowed
you 34%
65%
0.5%
0.5%
enough time
Asked about 82%
16%
2%
Zero
your
response
symptoms
Listened
to 83%
12%
3%
2%
you
Explained
82%
13%
5%
Zero
about test and
response
treatments
Involved you 55%
15%
30%
Zero
in
decisions
response
around care
Treat you with 85%
12%
3%
Zero
care
and
response
respect
Took
your 84%
13%
2.8%
0.2%
problems
seriously
Did you have 87%
11%
2%
Zero
confidence
response
and trust in the
doctor
you
saw
Were
you 87%
12%
1%
Zero
happy with the
response
privacy of the
conversation
If you were 80%
9%
5.5%
5.5%
referred to a
hospital were
you offered a
choice
of
location
Issued 27th March 2012
Telephone consultations
Only 42% of responders knew that we offered telephone consultations.
53% have never had a telephone consultations. This is an area we
would like to promote in future.
How easy is it to make an appointment with a practice nurse
89% said very/fairly easy to see the practice nurse, 2.5% stated it was
not easy the remainder stated they did not know.
Please rate your appointment with the nurse
Very
Fairly
Neither
satisfied
satisfied
satisfied
or
dissatisfied
Allowed
you 81%
15%
3.9%
enough time
Asked about 80%
14%
4%
your
symptoms
Listened
to 83%
14%
2%
you
Explained
72%
18%
9%
about test and
treatments
Involved you 75%
15%
9%
in
decisions
around care
Treat you with 89%
8%
2%
care
and
respect
Took
your 86%
12%
1.6%
problems
seriously
Did you have 89%
9%
1%
confidence
and trust in the
nurse you saw
Were
you 87%
11%
1%
happy with the
privacy of the
conversation
Issued 27th March 2012
Very
dissatisfied
0.1%
2%
1%
1%
1%
1%
0.4%
1%
1%
Overall how well does your practice help you to?
Very well
Fairly well
unsure
Understand
your
health
problems
Cope with your
health problems
Keep yourself
healthy
Find information
about services
they provide i.e.
test
results,
repeat
prescriptions
etc.
Are you aware
of the practices
compliment and
complaint
procedure
Access
information
about
staying
healthy
and
preventing
illness
71%
27%
1%
Not
well
1%
68%
30%
1%
1%
58%
38%
3%
1%
58%
35%
6%
1%
40%
17%
25%
18%
39%
35%
18%
8%
very
Generally very well looked after by nurses and doctors.
Environment
52% can hear what is being said to the receptionists but they don’t mind.
However 14% are not happy about this. 25% are not aware that there is
an area provided for confidentiality. The remainder did not answer the
question.
Issued 27th March 2012
78% of the responders think the surgery is very clean, 22% think it is
fairly clean. 87% think the surgery has good access, 13% think it has
fairly good access to the building. 94% think there is adequate parking,
6% do not think parking is adequate. 36% think the waiting room is fairly
comfortable, 61% think it is very comfortable the remaining think it is not
very comfortable.
Parking can sometimes be a problem on certain days. The practice
would like to point out that the car park is a privately owned space and
not owned by the practice.
Overall satisfaction
This was free text and difficult to analyse and in future surveys the
practice would not offer a free text area in the future. Comments ranged
from excellent to not at all happy. There were no common themes or
areas of dissatisfaction.
Suggestions
28 of the responders (6.6%) said they wanted more time with the GPs,
41 (10%) wanted to be able to pre-book. This was discussed at the
patient meeting on 21st March along with all aspects of the survey. The
practice need to remind patients that one issue = 1 slot and if patients
are wanting to see a GP/nurse around multiple issues then a double slot
should be booked.
Priority Areas and Action Plan
Promote telephone consultations – to be led by GPs. (April 2012
onwards)
Publicise telephone consultations – to be led by the Practice Manager
and receptionists (April 2012 onwards)
Promote on line services more fully – poster/advertising campaign. (May
2012)
Privacy line for receptionist queue – part of next phase of redevelopment
(July 2012)
Practice newsletter comments were received by the patient group asking
for it to focus on key members of staff and giving patients a more
personal view of the staff e.g. mention a hobby. (Jul 2012)
The telephone message was also discussed and it was felt it would be
better to have the voice on the message to that of a Practice GP. This
will be changed as a result of this feedback. (Jul 2012)
Issued 27th March 2012
Summary
The survey was difficult to analyse with having so many questions and
areas for comment. In future surveys the practice will focus on areas of
concern as identified by the patient group in the next year.
The priority areas will be addressed and this should improve the services
provided by the practice. The practice is updating the fabric of the
building in the next financial year which will address some of the issues
around patients being able to hear consultations.
The practice would like to thank all patients who completed the survey
and the members of the patient group who contributed to this report.
If you have any queries on the survey or contents of this report, please
contact the Practice Manager, Helen Hobson on 0844 477 3708.
Issued 27th March 2012