SPA SURGERY
Drs Brady Harrison Chubb & Turner
205 High Street
Boston Spa
LS23 6PY
Tel: 01937 842842
Patient Survey March 2014
The Spa Surgery Patient Participation Group was established in 2011. The group was set up by the Practice approaching patients who we felt would be interested in joining. The patients we chose were people who had links within the local community, whether it be their employment or past times. Examples of this are people involved in the local churches, a director of a care company in the area, who has several clients (people who are registered at the Practice) in the area.
The P.P.G has ten members. At the first meeting on 8th November 2011, the group discussed the size of the group. A decision was made whereby it was felt nine to ten members was a good figure. This would allow each member to participate with the discussions that would be had.
At the last group meeting which was held on Monday 24th March 2014, the results of the most recent Patient Survey was discussed. Five members attended the meeting. All were British. Of these membersthreewere male and twowere female. The age range of those who attended was 58 to 75 years of age. The Practice Manager and one of the partners, Dr Brady were present as well as the Senior Receptionist Jaqui Mortimer.
The Practice at present has 6,636 patients registered.
Of these 3,230 are male and 3,406 are female.
These figures are made up of 1,368 people aged 19 or under, 461 aged 20 – 29, 730 between the ages of 30 – 39, 1001 people aged 40 – 49, 909 50 – 59 year olds, 915 patients aged between 60 – 69, 785 people between the ages of 70–79, 373 patients between the ages of 80 – 89 and 94 patients aged 90 +
On planning the survey, we chose guidance from the First Practice Management website (firstpracticemanagement.co.uk).
The survey was made available for patients in the front reception area from 24thFebruary 2014 to 11th March 2013. One hundred surveys were taken and fifty one were returned. All were anonymous.
It was noted that this was the poorest return in surveys that the Practice has experienced in the years the Practice has done regular annual surveys.
From the data supplied from the surveys 66% who advised of their gender were female and 34% were male. Not everyone completing the surveys advised of their gender.
The most popular age range that completed the survey was the over 65’s category with 54%, followed closely by the over 50’s age range with 16%, followed by the 40 and 49 year olds at 12%.
The lowest age range that completed the survey was again the under 25’s scoring 1.5%.
The group of patients who have been registered at the Practice more than 30+years completed the most surveys (38%), the least being less than one year (2%).
The results show that people are happy with the speed their telephone call was answered; 26% replied good, 10% said very good and 8% answered excellent.
18% of people said the length of time waiting for an appointment was good, while 22% said very good and 16% answered excellent.
The results for seeing the doctor of your choice are positive; 24% answered very good and 32% answered excellent.
34% who answered the survey think the length of time they wait to see a doctor or nurse is very good and 26% said the length of waiting was excellent.
44% of patients have had no experience in the Out of Hours Service.
34% replied excellent for their prescription being ready on time and 36% answered excellent for the prescription being correctly issued.
38% said the helpfulness of reception staff was very good and 22% replied excellent.
The response for the overall satisfaction with the Practice was very encouraging with 32% being very good and 28% excellent.
On the whole the overall survey feedback was again positive but the Practice recognises that significant problems around the telephones plus having a senior full time Partner on long term sick have maybe lowered the overall total of good, very good and excellent compared to last years results.
We have again arranged for a telephone engineer to visit the surgery to attempt to resolve the situation and staff have been reminded that the NHS requirement is that phones were possible should be answered with in 5 rings.
Action Plans of 2012 and 2013 - Reviewed.
On reviewing last two years action plan, the process of upgrading the software system we use from Emis LV to Emis Web has happened the upgrade was described by both EMIS (our system supplier) and the CSU as a text book change and upgrade.
We still try to make sure a member of staff sits up front in Reception especially on a morning surgery but on an afternoon this usually proves not possible.
If a patient requires assistance when there is no one available, we have placed an electric bell on the front desk for patients to press this alerts members of the admin team help is required.
Since January 2014 we have been rolling out our Patient access service were patients can register with the Practice online, to book there own non urgent appointments, request repeat scripts, see test results and pass messages on to members of the Spa Practice team. We are hoping to encourage a lot of our patient population on to this service to the pressure off our telephone system.
Action Plan 2014.
1. Some members of our Patient group were quite shocked at the number of DNA’s(DID NOT ATTENDS) that occurred on a regular basis.
The Practice is going to look to introduce a system of SMS/Text messaging reminders which we hope will cut down on this.
2. The Patient group has a couple of members who have links to local churches and other organisations within Boston Spa village and we hope to make stronger links with them by advertising things such as flu clinics, the new Blood Pressure machine in reception etc through them and say there weekly news sheets.
3. The Practice is keen to really establish the online patient access so have
left it as part of the 2014 action plan as well.
The Practice telephones are brought back from the Out of Hours Service at 8.00am Monday to Friday, and put back through to the Out of Hours at 6.00pm Monday to Friday.
The Practice doors open at 8.15am and remain open until 6.00pm Monday to Friday. The surgery currently closes its doors over lunch, between the hours of 1.00pm – 2.00pm however patients are still able to telephone the surgery.
Appointments can be made up to approximately six weeks in advance to see a G.P, although we do reserve approximately 35 – 40% of appointments for book on the day for anyone needing urgent medical advice etc. These appointments can either be made by visiting the surgery or telephone.
Patients who would like to speak to a doctor of their choice, who do not necessarily need seeing, can contact the surgery any morning before 11.00am. Anyone needing medical advice after this time can speak to the doctor on call.
Requests for prescriptions are only taken on the telephone if the person is housebound. Requests can be emailed to the Practice, ordered via the surgery website, by popping into the surgery or by leaving a hand written request in the designated box in the porch. If the surgery is closed, requests can be posted through the letter box.
Patient results are given over the telephone between the hours of 12 noon and 2.00pm. These can be given out anytime during the day to anyone visiting the surgery.
The following are ‘further comments’ that were stated on the survey:
- Car Parking becoming Problematic
- Poor arrangements for flu jabs felt like a conveyor belt
- I would like to see staff on reception at all times.
- Waiting for phone to be answered takes too long
- No parking, a cycle rack would be an asset
- Customer service offered by reception is very poor
- Radio sometimes a little loud
- Thank you for being my support and my reliable help
- I have always found the Doctor to be excellent
- You provide a first rate service- helpful, professional, caring keep up the good work
- Generally excellent and high degree of satisfaction.
- The medical care is excellent
- Brilliant, first class, patient centred team of GP’s and staff.
- It is hoped that the good practice stays the same with the influx of the new housing estates in the village
- This Practice is first class all the staff are caring and make me feel they are interested in me.
- The Doctors and Nurses are really good at their jobs and I have every confidence in them
A. Grimshaw 28/3/2014
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