Boundary House Medical Centre
Patient survey results
March 2013
How was this survey undertaken ?
•147 replies received
•Approximately 1.6% of our patient population were surveyed
•Post, email and in-practice replies
•Not all were fully completed
•All comments have been included as well as yes/no answers
Difficulty getting through to the practice?
Positive comments.
•Very satisfied with appointments and good help at reception
•No problems whatsoever
•Brilliant
•I pass on my way to and from work and thus can easily call in
•No problems - staff always helpful and polite
•Just shows you are busy
•No difficulty
•Never phone, go in to make appointments
•Very good service
•Always good to get an on-the-day appointment
•I always get answered quickly and efficiently
•Always get an appointment very easily
Difficulty getting through to the practice?
Negative comments
•Ringing and ringing
•Many times difficult to get through
•Can never get through – rings and rings, beyond a joke. Sometimes it’s terrible. Needs reviewing and sorting.
•The problem goes back more than “recent weeks”. Sometimes had to wait half an hour. What do patients do when their call is urgent? – Not on
•If you have 9000 patients and <2 phone answerers, your sums are wrong. Less patients or more staff – simple.
•Excessive “on hold” times during certain periods
•Just once
•Trouble with BT
•Sometimes took a while to answer
•Rings for ages and get cut off so I have to keep trying some times
•Prescription hotline service is terrible to get through to – not open long enough and usually engaged for ages
•I tried calling to make an appointment, had to try 3 times before phone answered
•Rang Monday 18/3, could not get an answer
•Need to wait four days to see a certain doctor
•But appreciate they are busy
•Sometimes the phone just rings off before it is answered
•Sometimes the phone doesn’tget answered, although I know it can get very busy
•Does take a while to answer the phone
•Phone not answered on 1st or 2nd occasion
•There were a few times some weeks back when I was unable to get through
•Have problems getting through on prescription line – always busy
•We have a job getting through to you
•Sometimes there is no-one answering at the specified opening time
•Doctors very busy
•We have a job getting through to you
Do you use a practice website?
Do you find the practice Website useful?
Do you use the Practice Website?
Positive comments
•Handy to make appointments online and for repeat prescriptions
•Reception staff advised how to get on the website and it’s brilliant as I can’t always get to the doctors for repeat prescriptions
•1st time to book an appointment – very good
Negative comments
•Can never log on to make appointments
•Can’t book appointments or see appointments booked on phone
•Didn’t know you had one
•Have no lap top
•Don’t know about it
•I did try but failed
•It has been problematic and untrustworthy
•Prefer to use telephone
•Didn’t know there was one
•Would be useful to save repeat medication
•Online appointment system not been working for some months
•Would be easier to update us by email
•Got a username but it doesn’t give access to the appointment screen
Appointment Text Reminders - Positive comments
•With my memory I would appreciate the service!
•Your solution needs to be soon, not next year
•Very good idea
•This would be very useful for me
•Text messages will be great and try to keep to a time plan
•This works well with my dentist who offers this
•Texts and alerts work very well in our business and would be a good idea
•Never missed one
•Good idea
•Very helpful
•I would find this very important as I nearly missed my appointment today
•Possibly, if it was useful to the practice
•This would be very helpful
•This is a great idea and would be really useful for me
Negative comments
•As long as there is no premium charge association with receiving or opening the text
•No mobile phone
•Do not have mobile phone
•I never miss appointments
•I prefer to use texting only with family and friends
•No mobile
•Never missed an appointment in the past
•Don’t have a mobile
•Do not have a mobile phone
•Seems wrong to ask people who don’t miss appointments for a number. Why not ask those who don’t turn up for their number?
Would you like to receive investigation results via text message?
Results by Text?
Positive comments
•Very helpful
•I have received results when I rang and this saves arranging transport to the GP Surgery
•It would make sense and saves everyone time
•Unless very routine i.e. smear test to confirm they are clear – otherwise would need to be informed by phone or in person
•Obviously to be followed by an explanation/discussion with a doctor/nurse on telephone or face-to-face
•But only for basic things e.g. bloods
•This would seem a particularly insensitive way of passing on potentially devastating news and should be done face to face to provide appropriate support
•I prefer to talk face to face
•Sometimes you like to have them explained
Negative comments
•This would seem a particularly insensitive way of passing on potentially devastating news and should be done face to face to provide appropriate support
•I prefer to talk face to face
•Sometimes you like to have them explained
General Comments
•The reception staff and the Doctors are great here, very helpful and lovely to talk to
•It’s the best surgery I have been to in all my years
•Really satisfied with everything at this Practice. Thanks for your help
•Not computer or mobile literate
•Have no complaints with practice. Excellent service and helpful staff
•I think all staff and doctors are brilliant
•Something to keep the kids quiet whilst waiting to be seen to
•Bernie very helpful and polite on phone
•Pleased with the practice
•All ok, thank you
•Staff are fabulous
•My wife had major surgery - the staff and doctors were excellent in their help.
•Overall, I am very happy with this surgery
General Comments
•The doctors have changed regarding making an appointment. You can’t make an appointment for the very next day
•Speaker system for calling in patients is not working very well
•Have always been with this practice (70yrs) and wouldn’t dream of going anywhere else – thank you
•You asked me if I would like to join this group when I raised issues regarding the difficulty in getting appointments when you are in full-time employment without taking time off work, particularly when it is a private and sensitive issue. I think the fact that your meeting is again during the working day shows that people like myself are not able to have our views listened to
•IT is heavily invested in and often highly sophisticated, but in practice it is of limited use and users frequent problems which are unlikely to improve patient experience. Staff are then restricted or inconvenienced and patients are at a disadvantage. Change for the sake of it, is unwise, and over reliance on technology is short-sighted and costly, both in time and money terms
Any thoughts?
Any action points?
Significant planned changes at Boundary House
How may this affect you and other patients?
Suggestions for future meetings..
How often?
What to discuss?
Where and when?
Thank you for your time and input It is greatly appreciated