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GPAQ PATIENT SURVEY
(GP Assessment Questionnaire)
At Mendip Country Practice a variety
of questionnaires have been
completed over the years to help us
not only survey the views of our
patients using primary care services
but to help the staff as a team look
at issues and make any necessary
decisions for change or improvement.
During October 2007 we asked
patients to participate in the GPAQ
Patient Questionnaire as we have
done in previous years. As per all
our previous surveys this was well
promoted before to our patients,
making clear to patients that
although they were not obliged to
take part, their help and time was
appreciated for feedback in the
appraisal of the practice.
Using the GPAQ questionnaire, we
handed out questionnaires to
patients one after the other as they
came into surgery – to every patient
irrespective of who they were
seeing.
Although it was only necessary to
complete 50 questionnaires per
regular GP, as a training practice
we did also include our GP
Registrar, Dr Chris Lloyd, feeling
that any feedback for him is a
valuable part of his training.
All results were entered onto the
GPAQ formula spreadsheet that gave
us combined information for
presentation to the team. We
discussed the results of the survey
as a whole, with all answers
combined. Then, purely for in-house
purposes and the GP appraisal
process, results for each particular
GP were presented for their own
personal feedback/appraisal.
The practice team looked at the
questionnaire results in detail to
ascertain any other reasons for the
results obtained, or any further
changes that might prove beneficial
to our patients. The following
observations were made:
- The survey
was well organised again, we had
lots of really good positive
feedback and patients were happy
to spend some time after their
appointment filling in the
questionnaire.
- Some patients
indicated they would like
extended hours of opening ie.
evenings or weekends – although
we were surprised at the low
level of this request, it does
fit in with the results of the
Government run survey last year
showing that in Somerset 86% of
patients are happy with opening
hours as they are. We are aware
that extended openings hours may
become an issue in the future
but await more information and
advice from Government.
- One patient
stated that allergy testing
should be more available on the
NHS.
Q3a/b
Satisfaction with opening hours and
Additional opening hours requested
We offer earlier start surgery at
8am and will continue with this.
Telephone lines are open 8am-6.30pm
and we offer a range of appointment
times Monday to Friday. Our access
records are very good although we do
have to bear in mind that some
patients prefer to wait longer for a
particular GP. We have a new website
which will hopefully have the
capability to offer patients on-line
booking from a selection of
appointments, but we have more work
ahead to enable this.
Q4a Availability of particular GP
As in previous years the survey
shows some dissatisfaction on this
question – this we know refers to Dr
Irish and Dr Musgrove. Both are very
popular GPs, but both work part-time
at the practice, therefore if
patients want to specifically wait
to see either of them, there can be
a longer wait. Receptionists offer
earlier appointments but with an
alternative GP, but some patients do
opt to wait for the GP of their
choice.
Q7a Satisfaction with waiting
times once at the practice
We fell down on part of the timing
of giving out this questionnaire
(ideally should be handed out in a
‘typical full week’). Our GP
Registrar videoing his consultations
(as required by all GP Registrars)
whilst the questionnaire was going
on – so invariably some of his
consultations ran late which
affected our overall combined
result. However, over the last
couple of years we have definitely
improved waiting times by
introducing a ‘catchup slot’ in the
middle of every surgery (as a result
of a GPAQ survey). We agreed that
next year don’t do the videos at the
same time as the questionnaire and
that we should also put up a poster
advising patients if a GP is
videoing their consultations and
therefore may run late (at the
moment the patients are told when
they come to reception).
Q8a – Satisfaction with Phoning
Through to Reception
We know there have been times when
reception have been so busy, even
with prioritising answering the
phone, it has been difficult to
answer all calls quickly. We thought
the response for this question would
have been more negative. However, to
maintain a quick and efficient
service for our patients, we have on
our new telephone system the option
of automated answering. We are not
keen on this ‘impersonal’ way of
answering the phone, but we agreed
to perhaps pilot this for couple
months, on a quieter morning (Weds)
and review in the new year. Patients
need the phone to be answered
quickly – automated answering would
give routing options that would take
calls away from the receptionists
(ie. to medical secretaries etc)
that would in turn enable
receptionists to answer calls more
efficiently.
Q9a Continuity of seeing same GP
Good – as a small rural practice we
pride ourselves in the personal
touch and ability to provide good
continuity of care with doctors
getting to know their list well.
It was agreed that we would follow
up this years GPAQ survey with
another – the GPAQ Nurses Survey. We
will do this by the end of Dec 07.
We also plan to do another survey
looking more in-depth at the
reception team/dispensary and
premises. This will take place
May/June 08.
The issues discussed today were
remarkably similar to those last
year.
Our main achievement from last year
is to have completed our website
which now just needs tweaking to
make it possible to book
appointments on-line and also to
order repeat medications. This will
be well publicised during 07/08 to
increase the way in which patients
can get information about the
surgery, but also increase their
communication with us and make us
more accessible.
There is little we can do about
availability of our two part-time
GPs – this comes up every year. We
have made a concerted effort over
the last year to automatically offer
another sooner appointment with a
different GP, but some of our
patients will insist on waiting for
a specific GP – we have to respect
their choice.
During the last year we have also
promoted our telephone slots that
are offered after morning surgery
(whereby the GP will ring the
patient), but feel we need to keep
on top of this and make sure there
is always a poster in reception /
note included in the newsletter that
goes in parish magazine etc.
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