Patients' views about Woodingdean Medical Centre: Part 2

This is a report by Healthwatch Brighton and Hove. The project looks at patient experience of Woodington Medical Centre.

The main purpose of the 2025 survey was to repeat a question asked in 2024, namely: ‘Compared to 6 months ago, has it become easier or more difficult to make an appointment at Woodingdean Medical Centre?’ These results can help to show the effectiveness of changes put in place by the 
practice after the 2024 survey. 

The survey was launched in April 2025 and a total of 1,612 people responded to the 2025 online survey sent by text from the practice.

There are recommendations in this report:

• Offer more frequent online booking systems as some people expressed positive opinions about this. Only 16% had used the website to book an online consultation and it is uncertain whether this reflects digital ability, how often this option is available, or a general preference to make 
  appointments through another means such as phoning reception staff.
• Support people with disabilities as they are the least likely to use the website, find it more difficult to use, and disability status showed greatest difference in difficulties in making appointments compared to 6 months ago.
• It appears that digital capability and familiarity of the WMC website may be key in improving access to appointments. Those who found it easier to book an appointment relative to 6 months ago were 17 times more likely to find the website easy to use. Of the near one-half of respondents who preferred to telephone the practice to make an appointment, being able to book online may stop the frustration of bookable appointments not always being unavailable, at 8.30am.
• Help people to use the WMC website and demonstrate what information could be sourced, including an online booking system. There is a significant proportion of respondents who do not use the website but, among those who do, they find it easy to use.

There are no follow up actions.