STOURPORT HEALTH CENTRE MEDICAL PRACTICE
PATIENT PARTICIPATION DIRECTED ENHANCED SERVICE
(DES) FOR GMS CONTRACT
This document reports the work which the Practice has done
to canvas patient opinions on the issues which are important
to them, as well as the actions which have been put in place
when improvement possibilities have been identified
Step 1: Develop a structure that gains the views of patients and enables the
practice to obtain feedback from the practice population, e.g. a Patient
Reference Group (PRG)
The Practice already has a Patient Participation Group (PPG).
It was decided to continue with this group, whilst encouraging further
participation from other patients. Posters were put n the waiting room, inviting
patients to join the group.
We were pleased to persuade a teenager to join the group, which meets at
the surgery. We also persuaded a patient who had previously provided
negative feedback, to join the group on the basis that he clearly had a view of
the Practice to share.
The PPG, and membership thereof, is also promoted both on the Practice
website and in the Practice booklet.
We wished to get survey question suggestions from patients who did not
necessarily wish to join a PPG.
A Flier was created which was put into the waiting room and distributed via
Reception.
Patients were encouraged to write their suggestions for questions for the
survey on the flier. These fliers were promoted with posters in the waiting
room.
Patients were not particularly interested in offering questions. Patients had to
be proactively approached in order to secure a question.
In addition all patients who had supplied email addresses and / or mobile
telephone numbers were contacted electronically. They too were invited to
offer a question for inclusion in the Patient Survey.
All suggestions were then collated.
It was noted that a lot of patients, had used the fliers to write favourable
comments on the slips, rather than offer questions.
30 Approximately 30 suggestion s for survey questions were received.
Step 2: Agree areas of priority with the PRG. The PRG and the practice will
shape areas covered by the local practice survey.
A meeting was held of the PPG on 28 November 2011 at the surgery. Title
headings for discussion included “Govt > electronic and in reception requests>
responses received to date> what does the group think is important > patients’
priorities and issues> is GPAQ representative of this?”
The proposed questions submitted by patients, for inclusion in the survey,
were reviewed.
The patient questionnaires devised by the Universities of Cambridge and
Manchester, called GPAQ v2 and v3, were also discussed.
The group felt that v2 was less user friendly in lay out. It was agreed that
GPAQ v3 reflected the majority of the questions which patients had
suggested.
There were however 3 questions submitted by patients, relating to patients
with special needs, parking and teenagers which the PPG felt was not been
covered by the GPAQ questionnaire. It was therefore agreed to add these in
as supplementary questions. The PPG agreed it was good to be able to
“personalize” the survey in this way.
The PPG also felt it was important that at every contact which the surgery has
with patients, a check should be made to identify carers. It was therefore
agreed to put some information relating to carer support at the end of the
questionnaire.
Step 3: Collate patient views through the use of survey. The practice must
undertake a local practice survey at least once a year. The number of
questions asked will be a matter for the PRG and the practice to decide but
should be based on the priority areas they have identified. When the survey is
complete the practice should inform its PRG of the findings.
The Practice’s patient survey was run in January 2012. Questionnaires were
offered to all patients attending the surgery to see a dr or nurse.
The survey was also promoted on the Practice’s web site encouraging
patients to complete a questionnaire.
153 questionnaires were completed.
A spreadsheet was created in house and used to collate all the responses.
There were up to 6 different responses available to the questions posed in the
questionnaire. The split of answers for each question was scheduled out.
This highlighted the respondents’ majority response to each question. It
showed if there was a split or consensus of patient opinion against the
questions asked.
The age split of responses across the answer category was put into
diagrammatical form for easy analysis.
Step 4: Provide PRG with opportunity to discuss survey findings and reach
agreement with the PRG on changes to services.
A meeting was held with members of the PRG on March 9th 2012. The results
of the patient survey were discussed. The results were shown in quantitative
and graph format so that the spread of responses could be assessed. A
computer projector was used so the group could all review the same results
together.
Each question and the responses received thereto , were discussed in turn.
The PRG members were invited to say if they considered the responses in
keeping with their view of the surgery. They were also encouraged to say if
responses suggested a need for the Practice to alter its service provision or
delivery
Step 5: Agree action plan with the PRG and seek PRG agreement to
implementing changes and where necessary inform the PCT.
Question (in abbreviated Survey Resultform)
most popular
answer
Helpful receptionists?
89% v helpful
Action Required
Easy to get through on
the phone
Easy to speak to
dr/nurse on phone
Can you be seen
urgently on the day
53% very easy
No
61% very/fairly
easy
62% yes
No
Important to book ahead
How easy to book
ahead
How do you book appts
How you prefer to book
73% yes
89% very/fairly
easy
73% by phone
65% by phone
If you want to see a
particular doctor
How quickly usually can
you be seen
How is this rated
39% 2-4 days
No
43% excellent or
vg
No
63% same or next
day
67% excellent or
vg
53% 5-10 minutes
No
55% excellent or
vg
No
If you want to see any
doctor
How quickly usually can
you be seen
How is this rated
How long is wait for
consultation to start
How is this rated
No- Comment- Yes
No
Yes – 100% should know can
be seen urgently on the day –
Patient Education though
website, posters in reception
No
No
No
No –limited interest in online
booking
No
Yes =
1 - ensure reception let pts
know if clinician is running
more than 20 minutes late
2- check if automatic late
running messages can be
incorporated into touch screen.
Is practice open at a
time convenient to you
Which opening hours
would make it easier for
you to see/speak with
some one
Do you have a preferred
GP
How often do you see /
speak with preferred GP
How good was your GP
you saw, last time at
Giving you enough time
Listening to you
Explaining tests and
Treatments
Involving in decisions
about your care
94% yes
No
31% lunch
No – this was only 12
responses
71% yes
No – interesting that 3 in 10 do
not mind who they see
No
Treating with care and
concern
Did you have
confidence & trust in the
GP
How good was your
nurse you saw last time
at
Giving you enough time
Listening to you
Explaining tests and
Treatments
Involving in decisions
about your care
Treating with care and
concern
Did you have
confidence & trust in the
nurse
Thinking about the care
you get from drs &
nurses overall, how well
are you helped to
Understand your health
problems
Cope with your health
problems
Keep yourself healthy
Describe your
41% always or
almost always
76% very good
86% very good
93% very good
No
No
No
74% very good
79% very good
Yes – to highlight to drs that
this indicator showed a slight
drop compared to the other GP
indicators
No
89% yes definitely
No
74% very good
68% very good
68% very good
Yes – these results were
judged harsh that the questions
did not reflect the work which
the nurses do. It was agreed to
find questions more relevant to
nurse work
62% very good
68% very good
85% very good
No – this was felt a more
accurate score
91% very well
No
75% does not
apply
82% very well
85% very good
No
No
No
experience of your
surgery
Would you recommend
your surgery
Is the parking
satisfactory
Are you a carer
The survey results as a
whole
96% yes definitely
No
61% yes
No
100% No
Yes – with 153 replies it is very
likely that some of the
respondents will have been
carers. But they are not
identifying themselves as such.
It was agreed to have a Carers
day in September to promote
the support which is available
to carers and to encourage
people to take up that support.
This will be arranged with
Worcestershire Association of
Carers
The group agreed with the
outcomes of the survey. It was
pleasing to see that when
patients had the opportunity for
anonymous feedback, that so
little of the feedback was
negative. It approved the
actions discussed and agreed,
and recommended the report
be shared with patients and the
wider Practice team
Step 6: Publicise actions taken and subsequent achievement. A Patient
Participation Report should be posted on the practice’s website
You’re reading it!
Further information on access to Clinicians at this surgery.
Doctors’ morning surgeries run from 8.10 am to 12.15pm, and their evening surgeries
run from 2.00 to 6.00pm.
Nurses’ surgeries run each morning and afternoon. Some are general treatment room
sessions, whilst others are designated for the treatment and management of specific
conditions
The Practice has also been contracted to provide approximately a further 4 hours of
nurse and surgery time a week, outside of the usual practice open hours of 8am to
6.30pm. These appointments are intended to be of use to commuters, ie those not
usually able to access our main surgery times. Emergencies and drop ins cannot be
seen and will need to access the out of hours team in the usual way on 0300 123 321 1
Appointments may be made by telephoning 01299 827141 or by calling in person to
the surgery. Routine appointments may be made up to 4 weeks in advance. The
practice operates a computerised appointment system, which informs the doctor or
nurse of your arrival; it is very important you ensure the reception staff know you
have arrived.
We ask you to attend appointments on time or give the practice adequate notice if you
wish to cancel. Cancelled appointments can be re-allocated, whereas appointments
where patients fail to turn up, are wasted. We monitor those patients who make
appointments and fail to attend. Persistent abuse of the appointments system cannot
be tolerated, for the sake of all our patients. If following warnings from the Practice,
a patients continues failing to attend for booked appointments, then the Practice
reserves the right to remove the patient from the Practice list and ask them to find
another doctor.
Patients who arrive late for appointments may, at the discretion of the surgery, be
asked to make an alternative one. Ringing to advise the Practice that you are running
late, does not alter this. This is because the allocated time has been missed and the
clinician will be consulting other patients. If it is an urgent problem then patients will
be seen but may have to wait until the end of the session.
Sometimes patients may also have to wait past their appointment to be seen, if the
clinician has had a particularly busy surgery. We will always aim to keep patients
informed when the doctor or nurse is running late, and ask for your patience when this
happens.
An appointment is for one person only; where another member of the family needs to
be seen or discussed, another appointment should be made. Patients may bring a
friend or relative to accompany them at their consultation if they wish.
Dr Ward is a qualified GP trainer and so this Practice undertakes the teaching of
health care professionals. Patients may be asked if a consultation can be videoed or if
a student can observe. If you prefer, you may choose not to participate in the training
and your consultation and care will not be affected.
It is useful to think about what you want to discuss with the doctor or nurse.
Appointments however are time limited and you may need more than one
appointment to complete your discussions. A routine appointment is 10 minutes long.
Chaperones are available for personal or intimate examinations, if the patient requests
it.
Consultation with the Nurse
As with the doctors, the nurses operate an appointment system. We cannot
accommodate people who ‘drop in’ hoping to be seen. Minor injuries should be dealt
with by the minor injuries unit based at Kidderminster Hospital; this is at weekend
and night time as well as during the weekday; the surgery does not offer an
‘emergency service’ for bumps, cuts, foreign bodies etc.
Weekend and Night Cover
The Practice will provide your primary medical care from 8am until 6.30pm from
Monday to Friday. Outside of these hours (e.g. night time, weekends and bank
holidays) NHS Worcestershire will be responsible for providing Out of Hours Care.
There will occasional pre-booked only appointments available on a Saturday at the
Health Centre.
To contact a doctor for medical problems when the surgery is closed,
Please ring 0300 1233211
This number is also given on our answer machine, which is switched on when the
surgery is closed