Each year, NHS England carries out an anonymous survey of a broad range of patients who have recently interacted with our Surgery. The aim is to gather valuable feedback about their experiences. The results are analysed and published publicly. GP Patient Survey
We’re pleased to report that in the last year, for the majority of indicators we have achieved well above both the Hampshire and Isle of Wight (HIOW) Local and National benchmarks.
Last year, some of our survey outcomes were disappointing and clearly highlighted areas requiring improvement. As a Practice, we take patient feedback seriously and are committed to continuous improvement. In response to last year’s results, we prioritised the following areas:
- Telephone Access – A 30% improvement, from 42% to 72% of patients rating their experience as good. (Local average: 49%)
- Website Usability – A 28% improvement, from 49% to 77% rating it as good. (Local average: 48%)
- Clear Next Steps at First Contact – An 11% improvement, from 85% to 96% of patients feeling informed with clear timescale expectations. (Local average: 82%)
- Treatment with Care and Concern by Healthcare Professionals – A 24% improvement, from 71% to 95% rating this aspect as good. (Local average: 85%)
- Overall Patient Experience – A 6% improvement, from 82% to 88% rating their experience as good. (Local average: 73%)
For example, between March and May 2024, we experienced a receptionist staffing crisis which led to longer than usual telephone wait times. During this period, the average wait was 15 minutes, with some patients waiting up to 40 minutes. We’ve since made changes, and the average wait time has now reduced to 3 minutes, with peak time waits occasionally reaching up to 20 minutes.
One area where we saw a decline this year was in the percentage of patients who felt they waited the right amount of time for their most recent general practice appointment. This dropped by 21% to 64%, just slightly above the local average of 62%. Unfortunately, this remains a challenge across the NHS, as rising demand continues to outpace capacity, and funding constraints limit our ability to recruit additional GPs. However, we remain hopeful about the potential impact of the new government workforce strategy and the NHS 10 Year Plan.
Overall, we are proud of our progress, especially when viewed in the context of Local and National data and the broader challenges facing the NHS. Please rest assured that we are doing our very best. We wish for nothing more than happy, healthy patients, who feel they have been well informed and treated with dignity and respect.
Regards
St Paul’s Surgery