Mayflower Medical Group: accessing services

In May 2022, Healthwatch Plymouth were approached by the new provider of Mayflower Medical Group to undertake a patient survey. The survey’s focus was to address long established patient concerns and frustrations in accessing GP services at the 5 surgeries that form the Mayflower Medical Group and to ask for suggestions on generally improving the service and in particular improving access.  338 people responded to the survey.

Primary access routes for patients have been phone contact or eConsult. As patients can be directed to complete an eConsult on phoning or when accessing the surgery in person, use of this service is inflated in the results.

Over four in five stated they waited in a queue when contact by phone with over two in five stating they waited longer than 40 minutes.

Seven in ten stated that multi options when phoning was useful, but the current options need reviewing along with welcome messaging to speed up the process.

294 respondents had used the online consultation process, but nearly 50% said that they found it not easy to use. When told they would be contacted back by a member of staff, nearly two thirds of respondents stated they were not contacted within the specified timeframe.

Over two thirds found online services such as booking an appointment or ordering repeat prescription easy or OK to use.

Communications from Mayflower are mainly being received by text message suggesting that this is primarily about appointment reminders and other issues around managing longer term care such as vaccinations and medication. There were very few comments around proactive messaging to patients about services or being involved with the patient participation group.