Briefing Two. What Healthwatch Slough found out about access. to extended hours appointments

Transcription

1 Looking at GP surgery phone answering Briefing Two What Healthwatch Slough found out about access to extended hours appointments Healthwatch Slough helps people get the best out of their local health and social care services. Whether improving them today or helping to shape them for tomorrow. Healthwatch Slough enables local voices to influence the design and delivery of local services. Healthwatch Slough has received a number of comments about people finding it difficult to access GP appointments. Last year 16 Slough GP surgeries received 2.95 million from the Prime Minister's Challenge Fund (PMCF) to improve access to GP services for patients. NB: Slough has 16 GP practices which provide 22 individual surgeries The plan was that they would: Increase access to GP services via extended weekday and weekend opening times Introduce a range of innovative new projects Deliver access to extended hours appointments via four hubs. Healthwatch Slough has carried out a four -pronged review of this project. We spoke to patients to find out about their knowledge of extended hours; we phoned every surgery after 6.30pm; we visited 11 surgeries to look at how the scheme was advertised; and we reviewed every practice website. Each week over the next five weeks we will be reporting on what we found. This week we will share our findings about GP telephone answering machines and how we rated them.

2 Our aim To establish the procedure for booking or cancelling an appointment during the extended hours. To confirm that pre-recorded messages for out-of-hours cover in surgeries in Slough are clear, professional and simple so that patients are able to understand how to access the appropriate service for them

3 What we did? Healthwatch Slough callers rang the 20* surgeries between 6.30pm and 7.30pm on Wednesday 15 th April & Saturday 18 th April 1.00pm 3.00pm. We recorded answers to the following questions to check the recorded messages. Callers listened to each surgery s phone message and marked against our checklist recording the information they heard. * (Manor Park Medical Centre and 15 Princes Street Practice, as well as The Orchard Practice & 11 Wheelwrights Place share the same telephone number) The key Healthwatch Criteria for GP Mystery Call were classified into 5 areas 1 Surgery Opening Times 2 Information on contacting the 111 Service 3 Information on contacting the in life threating emergencies 4 GP extended hours information 5 - Ways to book and access extended hours appointments book these Thank you for calling the xxxx Healthwatch Slough believes the following is an example of a clear and concise message: Surgery. The Surgery is now closed and will re-open Monday to Friday at xxxx and close at xxxx, except for Bank Holidays. If your call is regarding your extended hours appointment please call XXXXX You will now be given two options. 1. If you have a potentially life threatening condition? please hang up immediately and dial For any other medical queries that cannot wait until the surgery re-opens please hang-up and dial 111. Thank you for your call. (A good answer phone message)

4 How Slough Surgeries performed against this rating: Next Steps? Sharing Good practise To provide a better pathway to access information for patients and relatives Improving a recorded telephone answering machine message costs nothing. All surgeries in Slough could easily meet all the criteria for answer machine clarity. The Langley Health Centre ing Service, available on , has been rated the best answer machine message in for the surgeries that we called. We are recommending that all surgeries in Slough adapt their message to follow suit. It would be good to see all Slough GPs to agree a standard for telephone messages for the Slough patients.

5 Recommendations We recommend that: The four Slough GP surgeries that have areas of concerns meet with Healthwatch to identify a way for the answer service to be brought up to our suggested standard. areas that we rated against. Many surgeries said thank you for calling, you have reached etc. but for the purpose of our investigation this information was not reported against. All Slough GP surgeries use the 5 Healthwatch areas recommended by Healthwatch as a checklist to develop, assess and improve their answering machine service All Slough GP surgeries liaise to share good practice and we recommend that the Langley Health Centre surgery answering machine information is used and shared as good practice with all Slough Surgeries Our Commitment Based on our findings, we will work with individual surgeries and patient participation groups (PPGs) to help ensure that the future sees all local GP surgeries delivering excellent telephone answering facilities to support their patients. The information for this exercise is not a transcript of the messages that are provided on the surgery answering machine. The volunteers summarised the key Healthwatch

6 GP Practice Telephone Number Farnham Road Surgery, 301 Farnham Road Slough SL2 1HD The Avenue Medical Centre, Wentworth Avenue, Britwell Estate Slough, Berkshire SL2 2DG Langley Health Centre Common Road Langley, Berkshire SL3 8LE Response main content Healthwatch Rating Healthwatch Detail Our Telephone line is open 8am 6.30pm, Mon - Friday outside of these hours if you cannot wait until the surgery re opens call 111 out of hours free call If life threating please call 999 The surgery is open 8am 6.30pm Mon - Friday outside of these hours if you cannot wait until the surgery re opens call 111 out of hours free call If life threating please call 999 The Langley Health Centre is open 8am 6.30pm Mon Friday. If you are calling regarding your per booked evening or weekend appointment please hang up and call , this service is for per booked routine care only. If you require assistance that cannot wait until the surgery re opens for urgent assistance please call 111 out of hours free call If life threating please call Extended hours information 5 Ways to book access extended hours appointments Met 1,2,3 Met 1,2,3 Met 1,2,3,4, 5 Healthwatch Highlights Concerns or Good Practice Good Practice to support patient access and information For the Langley Surgery answer machine information to be used as template of good patient information for all Slough Surgeries The data

7 Met 2, 3 Concern GP Practice Telephone Number The Orchard Practice 276 High Street Willow Parade Langley, Berkshire SL3 8HD The Orchard Practice 11 Wheelwrights Place High Street Colnbrook, Berkshire SL3 0JX Burden, G, Dr. 40 Ragstone Road Slough, Berkshire SL1 2PX Tel: Crosby House 91 Stoke Poges Lane Slough, Berkshire SL1 3NY Shreji Medical Centre 22 Whitby Road Slough, Berkshire SL1 3DQ Manor Park Medical Centre 15 Princes Street Slough, Berkshire SL1 1SB Tel: Response main content Healthwatch Rating Healthwatch Detail The Surgery is now closed. In the event of medical assistance please call 111 or for emergencies contact A&E at Wexham Park Hospital. Welcome to Ragstone Road surgery. We are currently closed if you wish to speak to a health professional please call 111 and they will be able to help you. If you have a life threating emergency call 999. Are normal opening hours are Monday Friday pm This surgery is closed are opening hours are 8am 6.30pm. Monday Friday. If you require urgent advice or need to see a doctor call 111. If you have a life threating emergency hang up and dial 999. For urgent medical assistance call 111 this is a free call For life threating emergency hang up and call 999 Thank you for calling, the surgery is now closed. Please call 111 for medical advice, 111 is free from landlines and mobiles within the U.K For life threating emergencies hang up and dial 999. Met 2 Met 2,3 Healthwatch Concerns or Good Practice Concern Details are given to contact Wexham Park Hospital but no contact number or further information about Wexham park Hospital is provided. To update the telephone number on the CCG website for this surgery as a wrong number is available

8 GP Practice Telephone Number Sharma, Veena, Dr 240 Wexham Road, Slough, Berkshire SL2 5JP Kumar Medical Centre 59 Grasmere Avenue Slough, Berkshire SL2 5JE The Village Medical Centre 45 Mercian Way Cippenham, Berkshire SL1 5ND Cippenham Surgery 261 Bath Road Slough, Berkshire SL1 5PP Response main content Healthwatch Rating Healthwatch Detail The surgery is now closed if your call can not wait until the surgery reopens please call 111. If your call is a life threating emergency hang up and call 999 Grasmere Medical centre is now closed, our normal opening hours are 8am 6.30pm Monday Friday. For medical help after the surgery is closed please call 111. The surgery is now closed the opening hours are 8.30am pm. if you require urgent medical assistance that cannot wait till the surgery opens please call 111. If your call is life threating emergency call 999. Cippenham Surgery opening hours 8.30am 1pm & 3pm 6pm Monday Friday on Wednesday we close at 1pm If you need a doctor in an emergency please call 111 Use this number in an emergency only If life threating call 999 Met 2,3 Met 1,2 Healthwatch Concerns or Good Practice The data Concern For the wording of the 111 service to be consistent. This surgery suggests that you should only call 111 in an emergency which conflicts the promoted use of the 111 service. It suggests that 111 and 999 should both be used in the same way.

9 NA NA Concern GP Practice Telephone Number Upton Medical Partnership The Sussex Place Surgery 18 Sussex Place Slough, Berkshire SL1 1NR Wexham Road Surgery 242 Wexham Road Slough, Berkshire SL2 5JP The Village Medical Centre 45 Mercian Way Cippenham, Berkshire SL1 5ND Bharani Medical Centre Bath Road Surgery 450 Bath Road Slough, Berkshire SL1 6BB Response main content Healthwatch Rating Healthwatch Detail The GP surgery is now closed. Our opening hours are from 8.30 am 6pm Monday Friday. For urgent medical assistance that cannot wait unit the surgery reopens call 111, calls to 111 are free from landlines and mobiles. If you have a life threating emergency call 999. This surgery is closed are opening hours are 8am 6.30pm. Monday Friday. If you require urgent medical assistance that cannot wait until the surgery next opens please call 111. Calls to 111 are free. If you have a life threating emergency hang up and dial 999. The surgery is now closed the opening hours are 8.30am pm. if you require urgent medical assistance that cannot wait till the surgery opens please call 111. If your call is life threating emergency call 999. Attempt pm constant ringing Attempt Constant ringing Last attempt 7.40 Constant ringing Healthwatch Concerns or Good Practice For the surgery to investigate at what times their answer machine service is available.

10 GP Practice Telephone Number Bharani Medical Centre Bath Road Surgery 450 Bath Road Slough, Berkshire SL1 6BB Response main content Healthwatch Rating Healthwatch Detail Attempt pm constant ringing Attempt Constant ringing Last attempt 7.40 Constant ringing Healthwatch Concerns or Good Practice The data NA NA Concern 2 Concern Farnham Road Surgery (Weekes Drive) 100 Weekes Drive Cippenham Slough, Berkshire SL1 2YP Langley Health Centre 11 Wheelwrights Place High Street Colnbrook, Berkshire SL3 0JX Bharani Medical Centre Bath Road Surgery 450 Bath Road Slough, Berkshire SL1 6BB Attempt 1 Engaged 6.35 Attempt 6.48 Our Telephone line is open 8am 6.30pm, Mon - Friday outside of these hours if you cannot wait until the surgery re opens call 111 out of hours free call If life threating please call 999 The Langley Health Centre is open 8am 6.30pm Mon Friday. If you are calling regarding your per booked evening or weekend appointment please hang up and call , this service is for per booked routine care only. If you require assistance that cannot wait until the surgery re opens for urgent assistance please call 111 out of hours free call If life threating please call 999 Saturday afternoon calling The surgery is now closed for urgent medical attention please call 111. Calls to 111 are free. Alternatively if you need a doctor for a real emergency please call Extended hours information 5 Ways to book access extended hours appointments For the surgery to investigate at what times their answer machine service is available. 1,2,3,4,5 Rings four times then you get a tone which sounds like you have been cut off. 2 seconds after the automated message starts it would be helpful to change the tone sound to a beep or for the tone to be removed completely. For the surgery to immediately change the automated response suggesting a real emergency. We will suggest that you work with the Langley Health Centre to develop your answer message

11 GP Practice Telephone Number Herschel 45 Osborne Street Slough, Berkshire SL1 1TT Response main content Healthwatch Rating Healthwatch Detail Herschel Surgery is now closed. For medical advice please call 111 for the urgent Care Service. Met 2 Healthwatch Concerns or Good Practice

12 Contact us in a variety of way: enquiries@healthwatchslough.co.uk Healthwatch Slough c/o Citizen Advice Bureau 27 Church Street, Slough, SL1 1PL Telephone enquiries@healthwatchslough.co.uk If you would like this report in large print, another language or format please contact us