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The NHS want you to have the best possible experience of care. The NHS Friends and Family Test is a way of gathering your feedback, so we can continually review and improve our service to you.
“How likely are you to recommend our GP Practice to friends and family if they needed similar care or treatment?”
Your feedback will help us learn more about what you think of your experience — what you like and what you think we could improve. Ultimately, you’re helping us to make changes that will ensure we can offer the best possible care.
Your feedback is important to us. Please take a short while to complete the Friends & Family Test https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=slTDN7CF9UeyIge0jXdO44ozcvADSwRAst9ZDp0hmN1UNEg0QkRJNUhOM1ZNVDhJSDFBTFpSSDQ1OC4u
We have been collecting responses to our Friends and Family Test since May 2023. In this time we have collected 392 responses. These are categorised from Very good to very poor. This is the breakdown:
Very good = 60%
Good = 23%
Neutral = 5%
Poor/very poor = 10%
Don't Know = 3%
We looked at some responses and comments to see what the trending themes:
- Not getting an appointment
- Not getting through on the phone
- Online appointments to prebook
- More face to face GP appointments
The practice met on the 29th November 2023 to discuss these comments. We have reminded staff that we have the South Locality HUB for evening and weekend appointments for those that are not able to attend through a normal working day.
The practice is in the process of installing a new telephone system to help with telephone queues with the ability of recorded information and the function for a ring back instead of waiting in the queue to be answered.
We really appreciate your feedback and will update again at our next meeting arranged for March 2024.
Wednesday 20th March 2024
The latest results were discussed.
Themes identified:
- Can’t get an appointment
- Can’t get through on the phone
- Online appointments to prebook
- More face to face GP appointments
These are the same themes and trends as the last meeting in November 2023.
The new phone system is to be installed this week.
It was discussed that more appropriate online appointments would be available for patients to book their blood appointments, smear and chronic disease appointments.
A few comments were discussed:
- Very efficient and pleasant experience
- Always gets to see a GP or they will ring me, just takes a while to get through on the phone
- Medication that was Rx was something that could have been purchased over the counter
- No online booking for appointments
- Booking was easy compared to before
- I went twice with the same problem and they did nothing
To make more online appointments available.
Praised staff for some excellent positive comments.
To continue to signpost for over the counter medications.
The practice received 131 responses for May and up to 18th June 2024.
Wednesday 19th June 2024
Very good – 58%
Good – 23%
Nether good nor poor – 9%
Poor – 5%
Very poor – 4%
Don’t know – 0.8%
The latest results were discussed.
Themes identified:
- More face-to-face appointments with GPs
- Booking system
Some of these are the same themes and trends as the last meeting in November 2023 and March 2024.
Previous themes included getting through on the phone. There has been less comments about this as the phone system is now up and running to full potential.
It was discussed that more appropriate online appointments would be available for patients to book their blood appointments, smear and chronic disease appointments.
A few comments were discussed:
- Check-in system not working
This is a national problem for EMIS and it has been reported.
One comment was about the reception not being prompt to deal with her query. This may be for a number of reasons – finishing off her last task or patient query before dealing with the next patient.
- Automatic recall appointment for pessaries
The clinician always informs the patient following their appointment when the next one will be due and to book in plenty of time to that they are seen within the recommended timescales.
Due to the new premises in early 2026 – this is something to think about for when we move.
. The practice allows 10 mins grace for late arrivals – anything after this time will be classed as a failed attendance and will be asked to rebook.
- Smiley receptionists
- Polite and listening staff