Bridlington GP Access survey shows what residents really think about health services in the area

The report also found that patients had positive experiences with staff, and communication issues relating to referrals and online appointment request forms.

The report said: “There has been an increase in the number of concerns and difficulties with accessing GP services reported to Healthwatch East Riding of Yorkshire (HWERY), specifically a high rate in the Bridlington area.

"Due to this rise in negative patient experiences, HWERY found it important to investigate the seriousness of the issues disclosed by patients and the challenges that people face because of these.

"Accessing GP appointments was a focus for this project, exploring if there are any significant barriers to doing so.

"An aim of this research was to capture the understanding Bridlington residents have about the different booking methods available and how they can be improved to further the effectiveness of GP services."

HWERY said that the survey provided important information which will help improve the service in the future.

The report added: “The information discussed in this report allows for potential areas of improvement to be acknowledged with the hope that healthcare services will recognise these challenges as an opportunity to increase patient satisfaction.

"The passion and willingness of Bridlington residents in their journey to gain positive change in their healthcare experiences can be reflected in their engagement with this survey. They have provided HWERY with valuable information.”

Recommendations of the report were:

• Methods of Booking GP Appointments – Consider patients’ preferences of how they choose to book their GP appointments and allow them a range of choices.
• Signposting to Other Healthcare Services – The signposting procedure should be reviewed to prevent patients being directed to the wrong place with their health needs.
• The Online Consultation Request Form – The online consultation request form should be investigated. Setting a target response time that patients should hear back from the practice and making patients aware of this could help with reducing calls/contact with the surgery.
• The Use and Signposting to the NHS App – Ensure that patients know how the NHS app operates when signposting them there to prevent confusion or any further delays.
• Patient booking systems – The patient booking policies and procedures should be reviewed, following the volume of ‘very difficult’ responses to the booking methods.
• Support during patient journey – Investigate why patients are not getting the support they need during long wait times from initial appointment requests to being seen by a medical professional.
• Privacy in Disclosing Healthcare Needs at Reception – Ensure that all patients are aware that they can disclose their healthcare needs to the care navigators in a more private area.

The survey also said: "All the views, opinions, and statements made in this report are those of the residents who participated in our survey.

"The analysis of this report included the experiences of individuals of the Bridlington region in relation to their access to GP services, their registered practices, and the methods used for booking appointments.

"Due to this, the perception may not fully reflect the actual quality and availability of GP services in the local area. Although, it is the opinion of the participants whose information Healthwatch East Riding of Yorkshire have collected."

•Go to tinyurl.com/5yn79vxa to read the full findings of the GP access report.