During our first round of meetings meetings of the Patient Participation Group the attendess helped inform us of the priorities for local healthcare provision.
Based on these priorities, we have developed a questionnaire to help us further understand the issues that need to be addressed to improve local health care provision. We have focus on the use of Accident and Emergency (A&E) and communication.
Accident and Emergency
We have chosen A&E because every time one of us goes to A&E, it costs our local health community a minimum of £76, even if you decide not to wait. The costs go up from there depending on what medical care and investigations are provided and can quickly become thousands of pounds. However, many of us go to A&E with problems that could have been dealt at the doctors’ practice, Out of Hours, Salisbury Walk In Centre or NHS Direct. Using one of these services instead is much more cost effective.
We believe that we all need to work together to ensure A&E is only used for life threatening problems and emergencies. Please complete the following questions to help us identify ways in which to encourage patients to attend A&E only when essential.
Communication
We have chosen communication because we recognise that communication is essential to providing the highest quality of medical care. There are many ways to communicate, and as practices we try to embrace new technologies. Communication is always a two way process and we are particularly interested in how we can communicate better with you.
Please answer the following questions to help us improve. Please can we ask that you complete and return the questionnaire to us by Friday 16th December 2011. We will then summarise the findings, develop an action plan and share this information with you and other patients.
This survey has been added to the Barcroft website so if you know anybody elase who would like to participate please direct them to the site
Thank you for taking the time to answer our questions.
PART 1: ACCIDENT AND EMERGENCY
1. How many times have you been to A&E in the last 12 months?
2. Why did you go to A&E? (Please tick all that apply)
3. How was the decision made to go to A&E? (Please tick all that apply)
4. Was your Drs surgery open when you attended?
5. Did you try to contact your Doctors’ Practice about the problem before going to A&E?
6. How could the appointment service at your Doctors’ Practice be improved so that you do not feel the need to go to A&E without contacting them first?
7. Were you aware that may have been an alternative service available (such as the walk in centre, NHS Direct, Out of hours)?
8. Are you provided with sufficient information about the alternatives to A&E?
No 9. If you attended A&E with a problem that could have been cared for outside of the hospital, would you like to receive information about how to handle the problem if it occurred again?
PART 23: COMMUNICATION
10. How do you prefer to communicate with your Doctors’ Practice?
By post
By telephone
By email
Visiting Practice
Through website
In person
Other (please specify)
11. How do you like us to contact you:-
By post
By telephone
By email
Visiting Practice
By text message
Right hand side of repeat prescriptions
Through website
In person
12. We run campaigns, for example about flu jabs, how do you think we should inform all patients about these campaigns?
By post
By telephone
By email
Visiting Practice
By text message
Right hand side of repeat prescriptions
Local parish/village magazines and newspapers
Posters in Practice
Posters in local shops and amenities
Through website
In person
13. Do you listen to local radio?
14. Which station do you listen to usually
15. Would you like information about your local healthcare services to be broadcast on the local radio?
16. Would you like to read a Practice Newsletter?
17. How would you like to receive a Practice Newsletter? (Please tick all the apply)
18. Did you know that your Doctors’ Practice has a website?
19. Have you visited your Practice website (www.avonvalleypractice.com)?
20. Is the information….? (please tick all that apply)
21. Was there any information missing from the website?
22. Please add any other comments you would like to make about A&E or communication between the local healthcare services and the wider community.
PART 3: YOUR DETAILS
(These are required because responses are anonymous)
To help us better analyse the responses please complete the following:
A. What is your age?
B. Are you?
C. What is your ethnic origin
D. Do you care for someone?
E. Which Doctors’ Practice are you registered with?