GP Practices in Suffolk: What people told us February 2017 - February 2018

Healthwatch Suffolk analysed 1,792 comments about GP practices collected between February 2017 and February 2018 from its Feedback Centre, NHS Choices and community engagement activities. The report covered feedback relating to at least 92 GP services across Suffolk and aimed to identify common themes in patient experiences. Overall, people generally reported positive experiences once they were able to access care, with Suffolk practices achieving an average rating of 3.84 out of 5 stars. 

The strongest positive feedback related to the quality of treatment and care provided by clinicians. Of 609 comments about treatment experiences, 82% were positive, and most respondents described doctors, nurses and other clinical staff as caring, professional and supportive. Feedback frequently highlighted clinicians taking time to listen, providing clear explanations and showing compassion in difficult circumstances. These findings broadly matched national GP Patient Survey results, which showed high levels of satisfaction with local practices.

Accessing appointments was the most common source of frustration. Feedback showed substantial variation between practices, with many patients reporting difficulties getting through on the telephone, long waits for routine appointments and challenges booking appointments with a preferred doctor. While half of comments about appointment booking were positive, 44% were negative. Patients particularly valued practices that offered flexibility through online booking, nurse practitioners, same-day appointments, GP+ services or other alternatives when a GP appointment was unavailable.

Waiting times were another recurring concern. More than half of comments relating to waiting were negative, covering both delays in obtaining appointments and waiting beyond scheduled appointment times. However, some respondents expressed understanding that delays often arose because clinicians spent additional time with patients who required extra support. Many people balanced frustrations with waiting against positive comments about the quality of care they eventually received. 

Feedback about practice staff was mixed. Most comments about doctors, nurses and clinical staff were positive, particularly where staff were perceived as friendly, caring and attentive. Reception staff received more variable feedback. While many patients praised helpful reception teams, others reported experiences of abrupt or rude communication. Some respondents were also uncomfortable being asked about symptoms by non-clinical staff as part of care navigation and appointment triage processes. 

The report also highlighted concerns around continuity of care, with some patients frustrated by difficulties seeing the same GP consistently, particularly where they had ongoing or complex health needs. Healthwatch noted that while new approaches to primary care, such as care navigation, online services and multidisciplinary teams, are important to managing demand, practices need to communicate changes clearly and involve patients in service development. The report recommended improving appointment systems, strengthening patient communication, supporting Patient Participation Groups, increasing awareness of the NHS Accessible Information Standard and ensuring staff interactions remain respectful and patient-centred.