PATIENT PARTICIPATION GROUP /
ANALYSIS OF RESULTS OF PRACTICE PATIENT QUESTIONNAIRE CONDUCTED IN SEPTEMBER 2013
THE RESULTS 2013 /
The report that follows is based on the presentation given to the Patient Participation Group (PPG) on 10th December 2013 of an analysis of the patient questionnaire survey carried out in September 2013 and at the subsequent PPG meeting on 25th February 2014 where action points were discussed and developed.
The surgery’s population is as below:
Age Range / Male / Female / Total0 - 65 / 2206 / 2203 / 4409
66 - 75 / 184 / 179 / 363
76+ / 107 / 173 / 280
Total / 2497 / 2555 / 5052
- THE PATIENT REPRESENTATIVE GROUP
The PPG group at the surgery is well established and has been active since its formation in 2005. When the group was set up only had 2 patients, who expressed their wish to join, but following advertising in the surgery it increased to 6 patients; thereafter we have had leavers and new joiners following further advertising in the Practice waiting are to patients and we now currently have 9 participants at the group meetings.
The group aims to meet quarterly and to this end meetings were held on:-
19 June 2013
17 September 2013
10 December 2013
23 February 2014
UPDATE ON LAST YEARS ACTIONS:-
As a result of its activity in the previous year 2012 the Health Centre had been donated a defibrillator and the PPG group had helped raise funds for its refurbishment so that the defibrillator could be put into use and readily accessed by all at the Health Centre. The defibrillator has now been calibrated and new pads and batteries and secure alarmed storage box were purchased by the funds and the defibrillator has now been installed in the box in the reception waiting area since April 2013 available for the Centre to access.
Following the Open morning in October 2012, the PPG have been eager to increase patient involvement with the practice. The group felt that more people might attend if there was a specific focus tosimilar events. To this end the PPG were keen to target and encourage better self care for patients suffering from Chronic Conditions. PPG liaised with the Practice Nurse and Practice Manager to put on a workshop for patients suffering from the first chosen speciality - Asthma. In January 2014 patients on the Asthma register were invited to attend the evening workshop and an Asthma Specialist nurse to conduct a presentation. The workshop was poorly attended but by the patients that did the response was excellent. We do feel that the efforts of these open events are not getting the attendance numbers and a few thoughts on this are to have day time events which can be difficult during surgery hours.
The Practice has a newly published Practice Leaflet which offers information to the patients and is updated as required.
Alongside the Practice leaflet the Practice now publish a newsletter randomly to inform patients of any current issues of health awareness (such as flu vaccines) or events and to promote joining the PPG.
Throughout the year 2013/14 since the PPGs focus on reducing A&E attendances in the previous year, they have taken an interest in knowing about the progress of NHS 111 since its initial demise and then expected return in 2013/14. The PPG have been kept in the loop of how it was going to be implemented and when it was to made public knowledge again. The group have been very supportive with spreading awareness of this and to bring awareness to others about the correct use of A&E.
THE QUESTIONNAIRE
The practice had designed its own survey in 2012/13, and its questioning had a statistical focus with the results being, “Quantitative” in its research. The PPG felt that the results were difficult to interpret and didn’t give sufficient indication of patient satisfaction/ dissatisfaction. The survey for 2013/14 sought to address this issue by inserting more questions of a Qualitative nature in order to be able to identify areas that needed to be addressed.
The patient questionnaire was given out to 100 patients attending randomly at the practice during September 2013.
The uptake by patients to complete the questionnaire was positive and the result was we had a good return of the questionnaires in order to complete the analysis report.
RESULTS OF THE QUESTIONNAIRE CAN BE FOUND ON THE WEBSITE
Patient Participation Group Summary analysis of questionnaire survey 2013
- THE QUESTIONNAIRE ANALYSIS REPORT
In reviewing the results of the patient survey the survey can be broken down into several areas.
- Access to the surgery and availability of appointments
- Waiting on attending the Surgery
- Quality of consultation with GP
- Advise on staying Healthy
- Other
1 Access to the surgery and availability of appointments
Analysis of the questions relating to the availability of appointments was on the whole favourable (see below). There was 8% dissatisfaction with telephone access in general and 6% dissatisfaction with the availability to access the GP by phone. However the more significantissue the survey highlights seems to be the high number of don’t knows to the question “How easy is it to speak to a DR or Nurse on the phone?” with a score of 36%.
1 b Waiting times for GP appointment?
The vast majority of patients were satisfied with only 4%of the people survey indicating that they believed access to be poor.
2Waiting on attending the Surgery
The pie chart below charts the responses to the above question.
The pie chart below seeks to measure Patient Satisfaction with waiting times.
It would appear on the whole that patients remain satisfied provided they are seen within 20 minutes
ACTION POINT
- Patients are generally satisfied with the waiting time at the surgery unless they have chosen to go with one GP who does normally run over and these patients have specifically chosen to go with this GP and are prepared to wait. For the few that have had to wait and have made a point to express dissatisfaction about the length of wait, the survey indicates that it only has become an issue if the wait has exceeded 30 minutes. The practice will inform patients of the time the GP is running behind and will offer an alternative GP to be seen by if available or a new appointment.
3Quality of consultation with the GP
The following table summarises the responses to questions reviewing the quality of consultations between the GP and patient. The results show high degree of satisfaction.
How would you rate the service they provided by the GP / Very / Good / Fairly / Not / Don’t Know / Total16 / Did you have confidence in the last GP you saw or spoke to? / 84 / 16 / 0 / 0 / 100
17 / Giving you enough time / 76 / 22 / 0 / 0 / 2 / 100
18 / Listening to you / 76 / 24 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 100
19 / Explaining test & treatments / 74 / 26 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 100
20 / Involving you in decisions about your care / 69 / 27 / 0 / 2 / 2 / 100
21 / Treating you with care and concern / 75 / 25 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 100
25 / Overall how would you describe your experience of your GP Surgery / 75 / 25 / 0 / 0 / 100
ACTION POINT
The PPG response to the 16% result of patients expressing a lower than positive mark of confidence in the GP the last time they spoke with them was that they felt it was a normal human response of not willing to give 100% - this generally can be interpreted by people attending don’t always leave having listened to what they have been told fully and feel something was missing, in other words if they don’t leave with what they want. The PPG felt with a question like this we would only need to be concerned if we were getting a negative response.
There is no action.
4 Advise on staying Healthy
The survey also sought to gain viewson how well patients thought they received assistance to manage their own health during their consultation with the GP. The results again show high degree of satisfaction.
Thinking about the care you get from your doctors and nurses overall, how well does the practice help you with / Very well / Unsure / Not very well / None of these / Total22 / Understanding your health problems / 94 / 6 / 0 / 0 / 100
23 / Cope with your health problems / 92 / 6 / 0 / 2 / 100
24 / Keep you healthy / 85 / 11 / 0 / 4 / 100
Other
Practice Opening Times
85% of the patients surveyed said they were happy with current opening hours. But 15 % wanted an extension to opening times. However the survey asked patients who were satisfied with appointment times to miss question 14(see below) however, rather than there being a response from the 15% who were dissatisfied the actual number of patients who responded to this question totalled 44%. It would appear on the whole that the vast majority are reasonably satisfied with the current times. Given the opportunity it would seem that many people would like some form of extended service as this would probably give them more choice. However there is no clear indication as to when the practice should extend its hours. Preferences for early opening, late opening and Saturday morning are about the same
ACTION POINT
There is nothing conclusive in our survey results to suggest that patients are dissatisfied with the current opening times even though a minority of 15% indicated earlier opening and Saturdays would be of use to them. This doesn’t warrant a majority consensus of immediate attention for the Practice population wanting different opening times to what is already offered.
The patient representative who attended the public ‘call for action’ meeting in January 2014 fed back to the PPG that Practice opening times was an issue for some of the other practices in Stoke On Trent. Our representative suggested the Practice should wait for outcome and feedback from the call for action and awaits any directives that will seek to address the issue of Practice opening times or extended opening times which will be brought to discussion at that time.
PATIENT COMMENTS FROM THE SURVEY
Positive comments
Receptionists are wonderful! They really try and help you whatever you ask! Fantastic!
The receptionists are always very helpful and easy to talk to.
Overall the service has been excellent.
I find the Practice nurse very Knowledgeable and helpful in all aspects of my health concerns.
Nursing team is excellent, very professional and caring.
Dr Sedgwick is amazing! He really takes time to listen and understand my problems.
Dr Shah Jnr. is excellent. He is caring and understanding whatever issues me or my family have.
Dr Shah Snr. Absolutely brilliant with me in helping me with my problems and giving advice.
Negative Comments
The new phone number causes patients to be constantly on hold
Other comments
Something wants doing about the school cars parking on your car park.
Terrible communication with hospitals outside Stoke on Trent –Macclesfield Hospital
ACTION POINT
The PPG chair has written to the school to request the parents do not utilise the car park when collecting their children. The chair has also requested the children do cut not cross the car park. School have raised the issue as Assemblies.
Phone the PPG felt that the new phone line was an improvement and being held in line was much preferable than having an engaged tone which necessitated a further call later.