GP Access report: Experiences of accessing GP services in Derbyshire

Healthwatch Derbyshire undertook research into access to GP appointments after local people contacted them feeling frustrated about access to face to face appointments.  They ran a survey to which 1,370 people responded.

Over three quarters had contacted their GP by phone.  Nearly two thirds said that they had to phone the surgery between one and three times before they were able to speak to a member of staff.  Over two in five said it took less than 10 minutes for their call to be answered.  Half said they were not satisfied with the length of time they waited for their call to be answered.  Over half said it was hard to get an appointment at their GP practice.

Nearly half had had a phone appointment. Of those respondents who used online triage forms, 56% rated their experience as very good or fairly good. Over four in five said they were called back at the time advised.

Three in five had an appointment with a GP.  Two thirds said that that they felt the person they saw was best placed to deal with their issue. Over two thirds were clear about their diagnosis and treatment.

Aspects people liked included:

• Appropriateness of phone appointments
• Staff being compassionate and responsive
• Short waits for appointments

Aspects people wanted changed included:

• Face to face appointments
• Responsive staff

The report contains four recommendations and a response from providers.