Healthwatch Surrey Impact Report: ‘My GP journey’

This impact report describes how GP practices, commissioners and NHS England responded to findings from Healthwatch Surrey's "My GP Journey" project, which explored patients' experiences of accessing GP services, particularly for people with long-term health conditions. 

The report found that the majority of responding GP practices had taken the findings seriously and were considering changes to improve patient experience. Thirty-four of 42 practices (81%) reported that they were either making minor service improvements or incorporating the feedback into existing development plans. 

A key theme was improving continuity of care for people with long-term conditions. Forty out of 43 practices (93%) stated that they would review how appointments for patients with ongoing health needs were managed to support better continuity and more consistent care. 

Many practices also recognised the value of increasing staff understanding of long-term conditions. Twenty-eight of 42 practices (67%) said they would consider inviting patients with long-term conditions to participate in staff training sessions and share their experiences of living with their condition. Several practices commented that patient feedback had provided valuable insight and would help inform future service improvements.

The report highlighted growing interest in matching patients to clinicians with relevant expertise. Thirty-five of 42 practices (83%) reported that they were considering ways to align patients with GPs who had particular interests or expertise in specific health conditions whenever possible. 

Improving accessibility was another important area of focus. Many practices said they would consider testing and reviewing automatic door systems to improve access for people with mobility difficulties and sensory impairments. However, some practices noted that building design limitations and tenancy arrangements restricted the changes they could make. 

The project also encouraged consideration of more flexible communication methods. One practice reported that it was exploring an expanded use of its text messaging service to improve communication with patients. In addition, commissioners stated that they would encourage practices to promote online booking systems through practice visits, newsletters and practice manager forums. 

Feedback on the project itself was positive. Thirty-seven of 41 practice managers (90%) who responded rated the "My GP Journey" report as either helpful or very helpful. Commissioners noted that feedback from seldom-heard and underrepresented groups had been particularly valuable in shaping future work programmes.

The report also noted a limitation: only 34% of contacted practices formally responded to the report. Healthwatch Surrey expressed disappointment at this level of engagement and stated that it would consider ways to improve participation in future, including greater support for Patient Participation Groups (PPGs). 

Overall, the report concluded that "My GP Journey" had influenced GP practices and commissioners to review appointment systems, continuity of care, staff training, accessibility and patient communication, with many organisations demonstrating a willingness to use patient feedback to guide service improvements.