Outcome of the 2021 GP Patient survey
On 8 July NHS England announced the results of the 2021 GP Patient Survey, which provides insights on patients’ experience of primary care services, including access to these services.
On 8 July NHS England announced the results of the 2021 GP Patient Survey, which provides insights on patients’ experience of primary care services, including access to these services.
The past year certainly gave us all challenges; the first one was learning to use Zoom to keep in touch, have committee meetings, etc! Along with all other leaflets and items in our Practice’s Reception area, the PPG table had to be cleared, but we were given a new, glass fronted display board, and allowed access to keep news coming for those patients visiting the Practice – mostly information on the many on-line activities springing up, such as talks, health advice, and help with IT access.
Determined to set up a Patient Participation Group, we decided we needed support. As such, we applied for membership of NAPP and paid the joining fee ourselves. This was money very well spent. A small but committed working group of patients are now better informed by NAPP’s very helpful guidance. We are again fired with enthusiasm and have succeeded in setting up a meeting with an enlightened partner of the practice and the practice manager.
When we first locked down, we asked our practice manager how we could help. Through our Facebook page we kept our patients informed on the new booking systems in place. We also used the Facebook page to keep people updated with the latest evidence related Covid information as well as any information the practice needed to promote as things changed and the pandemic wore on.
Our Practice
Our practice operates from two sites serving a total of around 13,000 patients. We are lucky that as a teaching practice, it has had the opportunity to recruit some of the best clinicians and support staff and generally receives very positive reviews from patients for the services provided.
As part of Patient Participation Group Awareness Week we are sharing the stories, experiences and insights from our Member PPGs.
The following survey results have been shared by the Weymouth & Portland GP Patient Participation Groups (PPG), whose Chairs wanted to give patients a stronger voice throughout Covid-19. In doing so they could better understand their patients’ circumstances and how best to use GP resources throughout the pandemic.
Whitewater Health PPG has eleven members with a variety of backgrounds and skills. The Practice (18,000 patients) is based on two sites in North Hampshire.
We have an excellent relationship with the Practice. The Practice Operations Manager and GP attend every PPG meeting.
The Meads Medical Centre serves around 9,000 patients in the rapidly growing town of Uckfield in East Sussex.
The Patients’ Group, which was formed 10 years ago, has always enjoyed an excellent working relationship with the practice. It achieves its key role as a critical friend whilst being positive and supportive.
N.A.P.P.’s role is centred around listening to the concerns of patients, understanding the issues they are facing within primary care and escalating this to ensure the patient voice remains at the heart of local, regional and national decision making. As such, we have developed a short survey to gather feedback from our members and the public to understand the most important policy priorities impacting patients in primary care.
The coronavirus pandemic has triggered profound and rapid changes in general practice. Within weeks of the outbreak in England, the proportion of face-to-face GP consultations shifted from 70% to 23%. Patient Participation Groups (PPGs) play a crucial role in primary care as a key link between patients and general practice. During this period, they too, have experienced a shift in how, when and where they have been able to meet.