Richmond Medical Patient Survey: report of findings
There were 6 groups of questions on the survey relating to priorities chosen by the Patient
Participation Group including
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Demographic information
Booking an appointment
How to help non English speaking patients
Health problems you would like to know more about
How satisfied you are with our services
A bilingual member of our Patient Participation Group who has training as a link worker
handed out the survey in the waiting room to everyone over 16 who attended the practice,
during a week in February. She offered help with translation and completing the responses if
people requested this.
Results:
286 questionnaires were completed. Results are from analysis of the first 249.
1. Demographics
The responses were from a representative sample of the demographics of our patient
population:
Gender:
58% female
42% male
Ethnicity:
34% British
53% Pakistani
Long-term condition:
11% British Asian
2% other
36%
First language:
The first language of half our patients is not English
49% English (E)
14% Urdu (U)
35% Punjabi (P)
2% other
Dr Fiona Ford March 2012
2. Booking an appointment
a. Which type of appointments are most useful? (249 analysed)
Appointments Needed
200
180
160
140
120
100
80
60
40
20
0
Appointments
On the day: 184
Advance
Series1
any dr/nurse: 92
Advance particular dr/nse: 93
Telephone: 24
Specific problem: 30
Long/complex: 49
O
n
th
Ad e d
ay
va
n
Ad ce
a
v
pa ny
rti
c
Te ula
r
le
ph
on
Sp e
ec
if i
c
F
Lo
am
ng
/c ily
om
pl
ex
Family: 32
This shows that patients are asking for a different pattern of appointment availability from
what we currently offer: particularly for more pre-bookable appointments and longer
consultations for complex problems.
b. Getting an Appointment
Booking Appointments
160
140
Phone:
26
Reception:
141
Online:
88
120
100
80
Series1
60
40
20
0
Telephone
Reception
Online
This shows that telephone booking is not very popular, possibly because of language barriers
Dr Fiona Ford March 2012
and difficulty getting through. A substantial number of people requested online booking
(including people whose first language is not English). As we are currently setting up a
practice website, it will be possible to offer this option in future.
c. Remembering Appointments
Remembering Appointments
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
card
letter
phone
Reminder
Appointment card:
22
Letter:
85
Phone:
70
Text:
Series1
79
text
This suggests ways we could help people to remember to attend their appointments, which
would be particularly useful if we consider offering more pre-bookable slots, which people
are more likely to forget.
Dr Fiona Ford March 2012
3. Crossing the language barrier: what would help?
Crossing the Language Barrier
% of respondents requesting
%
70
60
50
40
Bilingual Dr:
20
Bilingual nurse:
58
Bilingual receptionist:
55
Series1
30
Bilingual telephonist:
59
20
Relative/friend:
46
Language line:
30
Practice translator:
26
Booked translator:
41
10
lin
Bi
Bi
lin
gu
al
Dr
Bi
gu
lin
a
ln
gu
ur
al
se
Re
ce
Bi
lin
pt
io
gu
ni
al
st
te
le
ph
on
Re
ist
la
tiv
e/
fr i
en
La
d
ng
ua
Pr
g
ac
e
lin
tic
e
e
tr a
ns
Bo
la
ok
to
ed
r
tr a
ns
la
to
r
0
This shows a clear preference for bilingual staff rather than any form of translation. We
continue to seek to appoint bilingual staff, particularly in reception and nurses, as we already
offer the option of bilingual doctors. The requests for a booked translator were explained as
nurses/doctors offering a regular session with a translator/link worker present, so non-English
speaking patients could book those times. This would be relatively easy to organize, as
almost all our non-English speakers’ first language is Urdu/Punjabi. However, we would
need to find funding to pay the link worker.
Dr Fiona Ford March 2012
4. Health Topics people would like to know more about.
Patient Education
% of Respondents wanting
information on:
D
He ia b
et
ar
es
t
As
di
se
th
m
a
BP a & se
c
&
ch hes
o
t
Sk les
te
in
pr rol
ob
le
Ho
m
w
s
th
e
bo
TB
dy
w
or
ks
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
%
Diabetes:
Series1
Heart
disease:
15
Asthma/chest problems:
21
High BP/cholesterol:
24
Skin problems:
31
TB:
16
How the body works:
13
27
Other subjects requested include womens’ problems, depression, hepatitis, diet/nutrition,
arthritis, urinary problems, thalassaemia.
Information: the majority of respondents asked for leaflets in English/Urdu, group talks in a
local centre and a Q&A facility on the website.
Self help/support groups were requested for families with disabled children and diabetes.
Dr Fiona Ford March 2012
5. Satisfaction with services
1 = poor, 2 = fair, 3 = good, 4 = very good, 5 = excellent
Premises
Doctors
Nurses
Reception
Dr Fiona Ford March 2012
Management/Admin
Suggestions: what is good, and what needs improvement. We have a lot of comments to
consider, and need to take time to do this properly.
Dr Fiona Ford March 2012