Fleetwood Surgery Patient Engagement Day
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Healthwatch Lancashire carried out patient engagement at Fleetwood Surgery in June 2016, where feedback was gathered from 39 patients about accessibility, appointment booking, quality of care, and patient involvement.
Overall, most patients were positive about the surgery. The majority booked appointments by telephone rather than online, and most did not use the online booking system, often because they preferred not to or were unaware of it. Patients also commonly reported that they did not receive appointment reminders.
Despite this, most patients rated their experience of booking appointments as excellent. The majority said they did not have difficulty obtaining urgent or routine appointments, although some noted problems getting through on the phone or felt uncomfortable with reception staff asking about the reason for their visit.
The surgery was generally considered accessible, with most patients reporting no difficulties in reaching it, and opening times were viewed as convenient, although a small number suggested extending hours for people in full-time work.
In terms of care quality, most patients described staff as caring, felt listened to during appointments, and found the information provided helpful. Overall satisfaction was high, with most patients reporting they were satisfied or very satisfied with the care they received, although a few raised concerns about staff attitudes, language barriers, or limited appointment time.
Patient awareness of involvement opportunities was low, as most respondents had not heard of the Patient Participation Group, although some expressed potential interest in joining.
The provider responded constructively to the findings, agreeing to increase awareness of online booking and the Patient Participation Group, address phone access issues, and clarify the role of reception triage.
In conclusion, the report shows that while patients were largely satisfied with access and quality of care at Fleetwood Surgery, there were opportunities to improve communication, awareness of services, and aspects of the patient experience.