On Hold- GP Telephone Waiting Times in Greenwich

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Summary of report content

In 2021, Healthwatch Greenwich conducted a mystery shopping exercise to measure telephone waiting times in GP surgeries in Greenwich. Given that long waits on phone lines continue to be a regular source of frustration for residents, they repeated this exercise at the end of 2024.

They rang each practice at least three times between 19 November 2024 and 9 January 2025 between 8 and 8:30am as residents said that this was when staff had told them to call to increase their chances of getting a same day appointment.

Overall, average call waiting times varied considerably. 

Between practices, the average call waiting time ranged from 2 minutes to 57 minutes. 

The overall average waiting time across all practices was 17 minutes.

The finding of an overall average call waiting time of 17 minutes—nearly three times longer than the average observed in 2021—suggests a trend in longer telephone waits to access primary care services. This increase aligns with consistent feedback from residents, many of whom express growing frustration over prolonged hold times when attempting to secure appointments, particularly at peak times such as 8:00 am.

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General details

Local Healthwatch
Healthwatch Greenwich
Publication date
Date evidence capture began
Date evidence capture finished
Key themes
Access to services
Accessibility and reasonable adjustments
Booking appointments
Health inequality
Service organisation, delivery, change and closure

Methodology and approach

Was the work undertaken in partnership with another organisation?
No
Primary research method used
Mystery shopping
If an Enter and View methodology was applied, was the visit announced or unannounced?
N/A

Details of health and care services included in the report

Details of health and care services included in the report
General Practice (GP)
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