Access to Primary Care Report: January - April 2024
Download (PDF 1.72 MB)Summary of report content
Healthwatch Knowsley report on key themes in the feedback they received in the period January to April 2024. During that period they heard from 414 people.
Treatment and care has continued to be the most highly rated theme. Healthwatch Knowsley regularly receive a consistent number of positive comments relating to the treatment received, showing that despite some people stating they have struggled with access, when they do receive care it has been a positive experience.
Staff has been an area that has been mentioned most often, with patients highly rating the care received from staff throughout the practice, stating in some cases that staff have gone ‘above and beyond’ to support them. However, a small number of patients have shared their negative experiences with their clinician during this reporting period. There has also been some patients raising concerns when trying to access support and advice relating to perimenopause and menopause, with patients feeling there was a lack of understanding and empathy from the clinician.
In relation to access, the majority of concerns emerge from trying to contact their surgery at 8am to obtain an appointment, relaying their frustration in having to call the surgery numerous times only to be told all appointments have gone and therefore have to repeat the process again the following day. Patients have also highlighted some issues with telephone systems and issues calling their surgery at 8am process.
In relation to access to NHS dental health care, this continues to be an ongoing issue with Knowsley residents, with people struggling to find dental care within their locality. From the queries received more and more people are having to opt to receive private dental care. In this case patients would benefit from a clear price plan and where possible payment options to support people who are not able to pay for their care in one lump sum. It is hoped that the Government’s Dental Recovery Plan will help to improve access to affordable NHS dental treatment, although we are aware that this will not be an overnight fix. Healthwatch Knowsley will continue to contact all dental surgeries within Knowsley to monitor their availability for both NHS and private patients