Appendix 2b

Hertfordshire PCT Equalities Access - Discussion Agenda for Public Groups (East and North Herts)

Notes in italics refer to results of GP Patient Access Survey 2006/07 – 17,280 responses

Existing Primary Care Access

  • Thinking about your GP surgery, to what extent are you satisfied with its opening hours?

82% of people surveyed in East and North Herts were satisfied with their GP’s opening hours

  • What are the main issues with regard to your GP’s current opening hours?

For the 18% of people who were dissatisfied, the reasons were...

Not open on Saturday (54%)

Not open late enough in evening (25%)

Not open early enough in the morning (7%)

Not open enough around lunchtime (6%)

Not open on Sunday (1%)

  • When would you prefer to visit your GP?

(Probe: early morning, late evening, lunchtime, weekends, other...)

  • Why is this your preferred time?
  • Can you currently visit your GP at the time of your choice?
  • To what extent are you satisfied with telephone access to your GP surgery?
  • 79% of people surveyed in East and North Hertswere satisfied with telephone access to their GP surgery
  • What are your views on current appointment system at your GP surgery?
  • How important are the following to you?
  • Advanced booking (more than 2 days in advance)

69% of people surveyed in East and North Herts are able to book appointments 2 or more days in advance

  • Is this your experience?
  • 48-hour access to GP

82% of people surveyed inEast and North Herts are able to get appointments in 48 hours

  • Is this your experience?
  • Appointment with specific GP

86% of people surveyed in East and North Herts can book an appointment with a GP of their choice

  • Is this your experience?
  • Which, if any, groups amongst the population have moredifficulty making or attending appointments than others?

Use of New HealthCentre

  • When if at all would you use the centre?
  • If yes, in what circumstances
  • At what times?
  • If no, why not? (i.e. what are your main concerns about it?)
  • Probe: alternative services (out of hours, NHS Direct, Urgent Care Centres, A+E; (Probe: transport; distance; loyalty to own GP; undermining existing GP; concerns about quality of care; diverting money away from general practice; where will the extra doctors come from?)
  • What would encourage you to use the service?
  • What are your views on the proposed opening times? (8am-8pm seven days a week)
  • How would you use the health centre?
  • Would you prefer to register or remain with your own GP and treat site as a walk-in centre? Why?
  • At what times would you use the service?

(Probe: after/before work; Saturday/Sunday; lunch-/break-time)

Location

  • What are your thoughts on the proposed locations?
  • Area
  • To what extent is the centre required in the locality?
  • Hospital site
  • Advantages
  • Disadvantages
  • Alternative locations?

Services

  • What services would you expect/like to see provided at the centre?

Probe: pharmacy/dentist/opticians, other services (e.g. sexual health services; cervical screening, minor surgery; maternity medical services [i.e. ultrasound]; contraceptive services; immunisation and vaccination; drug/alcohol misuse treatment; needle exchange; smoking cessation; other)social care, mental health

  • Which of these are most important to you? Why?

Information

  • Where do you currently get information about your local NHS?

(Probe: GP surgery; Clinic; hospital; pharmacy; media (i.e. newspaper, TV, radio); websites (i.e. NHS Direct/PCT websites/NHS Choices website/other); library or other community facility; word of mouth; community groups; other)

  • Where would you expect to see information about the new centre?(Probe as above)
  • Where would you want to see information about the new centre? (Probeas above)

Overall

  • To what extent is the proposed centre required in your area?
  • To what extent is the proposed centre desired in your area?
  • If required and/or desired to what extent, if at all, will the centres improve healthcare in your area?
  • If neither required nor desired, what, if anything, could be done instead of building/opening these centres?
  • Who do you think will/should run the new health centres?
  • (Probe: Centres could be run by consortium of local GPs, NHS organisations, the private sector or a combination of the three
  • What criteria should be used to select the organisation(s) to run the new health centres?

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