PART 1 - Introduction to The Leys Health Centre patient survey 2013/14 The Patient Participation Group (PPG) went ‘live’ and had its first face-to-face meeting in late 2013. The survey questions that follow are mostly based on suggestions raised at that meeting for topics that needed looking at.
Action on parking has made some progress with the help of Val Smith (City Councillor) and other actions are still being undertaken. So although this remains a topic of interest to the PPG, and to the practice, this is not pursued in this year’s survey.
This survey is going out to as large and representative a sample of patients as we can manage over the next few weeks.
If you have difficulty completing the survey for any reason, Ms Fiona Lodge will be happy to meet you and help you complete the survey, including using the Languageline interpreting service to do so.
Please note that the survey closes at 9am on Monday 10 March 2014.
PART 2 - About you
The survey starts with some questions about you so that we can check that those who complete the questionnaire are representative of all our patients. The questionnaire and results are entirely anonymous.
Please select one option for all questions (unless stated otherwise).
1. I am aged:
2. I am:
3. I speak English as:
4. I consider myself to belong to the following ethnic group(s): (please select all that apply)
5. Each year, I visit the health centre:
6. I am working:
7. I have a chronic health condition (e.g. asthma, diabetes, COPD, high blood pressure, coronary heart disease)
8. I have access to a landline or mobile telephone
9. I have access to the internet in my own home
10. I was invited to take part in this survey by:
PART 3 – Your views Please consider what is realistic for the practice to change when you answer the questions. We will use your answers to help bring about change.
Access to healthcare in general
11. Access to healthcare services at the health centre is generally acceptable.
12. I need easier access to (select one):
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Access to podiatrists
13. Access to NHS podiatrists (chiropodists) was restricted some years ago and is only for patients whose feet are at high risk. Access to this service is via your GP.
(NB Patients can refer themselves to Age UK’s "Solemates" service which offers basic footcare including toenail cutting. It costs about £14 per visit. Further details are available on the Age UK website or from reception.
Is the lack of an NHS podiatry service a problem for you or someone close to you?
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Access to GPs – Home visits
To obtain a home visit the patient (or carer) is asked to phone before 10.30am if possible. Home visits by GPs are usually done between morning and afternoon surgeries, i.e. 12.30 -3.30pm. For visits requested after 1pm, the patient is phoned that day, and the visit is usually done 12.30-3.30pm the next day - unless medically urgent.
14. Have you had difficulty obtaining a home visit?
15. If yes, would the difficulty have been overcome if someone was available to bring you to the surgery in their car e.g. a friend, relative or volunteer?
16. Is the timing of home visits between 12.30 and 3.30pm a problem?
17. If this is a problem, how would you like to see this improved? (Please be aware that different timings of visits may impact on GP booked appointment times and the availability of your own ‘usual’ GP to do the visit).
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Access to GPs – routine appointments
18. Demand for consultations has increased year on year, perhaps as treatments get more complex. The practice acknowledges that we must do things differently to meet demand. We hope that GP appointments can be used more for complex diagnostic assessments, while more routine medical matters, e.g. diabetic reviews, blood pressure checks or check-ups generally, will be done by Practice Nurses or Health Care Assistants (HCAs).
Is this acceptable to you?
If you feel this is not acceptable, please tell us why not?
19. I have seen the Minor Illness nurse or an HCA in the past year
20. If so, were you happy with the experience?
If not, what were the issues?
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Access to GPs – urgent appointments
21. I dislike waiting outside for ‘Open Surgery’ to start.
22. I come to "Open Surgery" because (choose one):
23. It is suggested that the current "Open Surgery" could be replaced with a system that offers urgent appointments at various times of the day, not just until 10.30am. Patients would need to speak to a doctor or nurse by telephone when requesting an appointment. This is called "telephone triage".
This would allow the practice to offer more bookable appointments at the start of the day which may help those who work or have other morning commitments.
Any such change would be advertised widely in advance. It would be monitored closely by the practice to ensure it ran smoothly. Patients’ views would be surveyed again after the new system was fully up and running. The new system could be changed again in the light of patients’ views.
On the basis described above, are you happy for the Practice to change the "Open Surgery" system?
Comments
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Appointments outside "normal" working hours.
The practice currently offers appointments outside "normal" hours as follows:
At least 1 GP offers appointments until 6pm each weekday
One GP (on a rota) offers appointments until 7.45pm on Mondays
One GP (on a rota) offers appointments 8.35am – 10.35am on Saturdays
At least one nurse offers appointments until 8pm on Mondays
At least one HCA offers appointments until 7pm on Mondays
24. Do you think this range of hours and appointments is:
25. If the practice were to change what it offered, which staff would be your first choice for additional appointments?
26. At what time would you want these appointments? (Choose one)
27. If the practice were to change what it offered, which staff would be your second choice for additional appointments?
28. At what time would you want these appointments?
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Practice facilities
It has been suggested that a sheltered buggy park for prams, mobility scooters, etc, outside the building would be useful. Initial figures suggest a cost of over £3,000.
The practice may get a small amount of money to spend on improving practice services.
29. What would be your preference as to how to spend this money (if it becomes available)? (Choose one)
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Health Education
30. Would you like to attend a talk on health-related topics or health education at the surgery, or other local venue?
31. Tell us what topics you would be interested in. (Choose as many as you wish)
32. If you would like to attend such a meeting, would you prefer it to be in the:
If you have other comments or suggestions about any of these topics, please put these here.
Thank you for your time and help in completing this questionnaire.
We will use your answers to improve the service we offer.