GP answerphone and website mystery shopping 2015-16

Healthwatch Waltham Forest undertook research on GP practice answerphone messages and websites across the borough. They reviewed 44 GP practices between December 2015 and September 2016 to assess whether patients could easily access accurate information about opening times, out-of-hours care and alternative services when practices were closed. 

The review found considerable variation in the quality and content of answerphone messages. Only eight practices had updated their messages between December 2015 and July 2016, and many messages lacked key information about opening hours, out-of-hours services and local extended-hours GP provision. Some messages were overly long, while seven practices were still directing patients to NHS Direct, despite the service having closed in 2014. Only one practice mentioned the local extended-hours GP service. 

Website provision was also inconsistent. Twenty-seven of the 44 practices had their own websites, and most included information on opening times, repeat prescriptions, complaints procedures and patient participation groups. However, only six websites offered accessibility features, and some still contained outdated information, including references to NHS Direct and services that had already closed. Healthwatch also found that some practice websites were difficult for patients to locate online. 

Healthwatch Waltham Forest recommended that the Clinical Commissioning Group develop standardised guidance for GP answerphone messages, ensure practices regularly update answerphones and websites following local service changes, and improve compliance with the Accessible Information Standard. The report concluded that clearer, more consistent and more accessible information would help patients access the right services and reduce confusion when GP practices are closed.