Are you happy with your GP services?

Healthwatch Lambeth held a seminar in June 2015 to discuss primary care services, including GP practices, pharmacies and dentistry, and to review progress since an earlier public engagement event. Around 50 people attended, including residents, patient representatives, GPs, pharmacists, councillors and NHS commissioners. Participants reiterated the importance of friendly, accessible and responsive primary care services, highlighting the role of reception staff in shaping patients’ experiences. Residents continued to value their GPs but wanted services to be more person-centred, particularly for vulnerable people, those with disabilities and people with mental health needs.

Updates were provided on several developments in primary care. The Lambeth Patient Participation Group Network reported growth in patient involvement activities and increased support for participation groups within GP practices. NHS Lambeth Clinical Commissioning Group also described plans to improve access through four new Primary Care Access Hubs offering extended opening hours, supported by investment from the Prime Minister’s Challenge Fund. The programme aimed to improve access to healthcare, support people with long-term conditions and reduce avoidable hospital admissions. 

Workshop discussions focused on accessible services, patient involvement and the use of health data. A project involving people with learning disabilities highlighted strengths in local pharmacies, including welcoming staff and clear health information, but also identified barriers such as poor physical accessibility, a lack of easy-read materials and communication difficulties. Participants agreed that “kindness” in healthcare involves listening, understanding, showing respect and taking time with patients. Discussions on Lambeth DataNet highlighted support for using anonymised GP data to improve local health services, but attendees emphasised the need for greater transparency, community engagement and wider sharing of findings. 

The seminar also explored how to strengthen patient participation groups. Participants called for greater visibility of participation groups within practices, clearer communication, better representation of diverse communities and more training for both patients and practice staff. Overall, the event reinforced the importance of involving patients in the design and improvement of primary care services and highlighted the need for accessible information, meaningful engagement and compassionate service delivery across primary care.