GP Patients Experience Review 2015-17, Warwickshire

Between 2015 – 2017 Healthwatch Warwickshire (HWW) conducted an assessment of patient experience at the 82 GP practices across the county. This was carried out by authorised HWW representatives at the GP practices and via patient surveys, capturing surveys of more than 2,000 patients.

The aim of this work was to assess the patient experience from end-to-end.

Recommendations included: maximising the use of online bookings; communicating delays to patients on the day of an appointment; promoting the Patient Participation Groups (PPGs) to positively influence the development of surgery and local services; providing comments and complaints processes; ensuring notice boards are up to date; fully advertising available services to patients and addressing reception issues including increasing staff to deal with queues and promoting a private space for confidential discussions. In addition suggestions were made about improving waiting areas, updating signage, improving demarcation and accessibility of disabled parking spaces and sharing good practice between surgeries.

Following on from the research and recommendations 42 revisits were made; 40 surgeries had improved, implementing at least one recommendations and 25 surgeries had implemented all recommendations. A total of 208 recommendations were made across the county with 53% (110) implemented.

The project provided HWW with stronger relationships with GP practices and PPGs across the county enabling more effective working together for the future.