The results of this week’s Patient Satisfaction Survey are in

Help us to improve our services

It’s the weekend, which means time to do the things we don’t get a chance for during the week. Other than the housework, that includes the results of the Patient Satisfaction Survey. So, let’s have a look at the comments we received this week.

All went well and I was very happy with the service I received

Takes too long before you speak to someone on the telephone

Good news! We had a visit from BT Openreach on Wednesday in Grimethorpe and are expecting them coming Monday in Cudworth. This is the next phase for our new phone system. We may have the new system in place within weeks and hope it will be a vast improvement on the current system. This is the first telephone system the practice has had a say in. The current system is commissioned by the ICB and was chosen by the CCG as it was a few years ago. We are looking forward to the new system and hope it will bring the improvements we are after for our patients and the practice alike.

Excellent as usual !

The nurse was really nice and friendly and explained what needed to be done but getting the appointment was really difficult i had an appointment booked for the 13th of may that was cancelled by the practice when phoned the 20th june was earliest i could get seen then i phoned to make appointment for my b12 injection and was told would be middly of july if nurse couldnt do it when i went on the 20th june

We have had some significant problems with appointments for our nursing team over the last few months. Unfortunately, one of the members of the team is on sick leave, while other members have needed to take time off sick, too. This has led to reduced availability and a need to cancel and reschedule appointments. We have recruited an additional member temporarily and another team member does occasional extra sessions to try and make up for the absences. We hope all members of the team will soon rejoin us fit and well.

I found grimethorpe surgery really poor, I needed medical advice and to be seen there and then due to suffering all my life with infected tonsils. I was told to ring 111 and heart for them to not do anything to then tell me to ring my gp up. I eventually got an appointment, I then waited 35 minutes for my appointment and kept getting told I was next one in after asking twice and waiting 35 minutes I got seen. I wasn’t satisfied with the experience at all.

We are sorry to hear this patient was dissatisfied with our service. However, we can only give what we have. If there is no availability, we need to signpost to other services. Unfortunately, appointments do occasionally overrun. The problem the patient presents with may be too complex to deal with within the normal appointment time and this may only become clear during the appointment. Or a patient may be in mental distress and need more time than envisaged. Sometimes an emergency crops up that causes a delay to the appointments. This is not something the clinicians have any control over. They would also prefer to run to time, but this isn’t always possible. We aim to keep our patients updated if the clinician they are booked with is running behind.

My request to see the GP was prioritised

All GP appointments at the surgery go through an Assessment of Need system. A clinician (GP, Advanced Nurse Practitioner or Physician Associate) assesses each request and advises the best course of action. Whether this is an appointment with a GP today, tomorrow, or next week, an appointment with a nurse, an appointment with a physiotherapist, signposting to another service like Pharmacy First, the Community Pharmacy Consultation Scheme, an optician, an urgent care centre. A&E, NHS 111, or any other service. They seek the best solution for that patient within the options we have available. If we have no availability for appointments, they will signpost to other services. Sometimes another service is also the better and quicker solution for the patient. You can help to receive the best solution by sharing the information with the receptionist during your phone call. We don’t allow patients to request appointments at the front desk as anyone in the waiting area can overhear what is said and confidentiality is not maintained. This is why we only accept this over the phone.

All in all happy with appointment and information we received from the nurse.

Doctor didn’t seem to check my concern as much as I would have liked and I felt brushed off and made to feel like I’d wasted their time. Since the appointment multiple people have told me to get the concern checked again as it very much does look like the thing I am concerned about

We’re sorry to hear this. An appointment is only a moment in time. When you see the GP, the symptoms may not be as serious as they later become, or they may appear to point in a different direction. Most of the things a GP sees are simple and often innocent conditions that will resolve on its own accord. However, there may be more serious conditions that mimic an innocent condition. This is why GPs will usually tell you ‘if your symptoms don’t improve, or if your symptoms worsens, please seek medical attention again.’ Please do so if that happens to you. Things can change, sometimes within hours. If your condition worsens, or if you remain concerned after initially having been reassured, please seek medical attention again. During my training, I listened to a child’s chest in the morning: absolutely clear. I listened again in the afternoon and it was full of infection. Same child, same doctor, a few hours difference. Please don’t ignore your spidey sense that something isn’t right. Have it checked again. It may be nothing and then you’ll be reassured. Or the condition may have changed and you have prevented it from getting much worse.

That completes the comments left on our Patient Satisfaction Survey this week. Now it’s time to look at the results from the Friends and Family Test:

Thank you to all the patients who took the time to fill our Surveys in again. It is much appreciated. We have learned that most patients are happy with our service but there are improvements possible.
The telephone system needs improving and we are getting closer to a new system being installed.
There is disruption with our nursing team appointments through sickness absences and we are trying to keep the impact on our patients as little as possible. We hope our team members will soon return to us fit and healthy after making a full recovery.

Enjoy the rest of your weekend!