Wallingford Medical Practice. Patient Satisfaction Survey 2014

Transcription

1 Wallingford Medical Practice Patient Satisfaction Survey 2014 Contents Page 1. Executive Summary 2 2. Background 2-3 a. The Practice b. Practice Organisation c. The Patient Participation Group (Patients in Partnership - PiP) 3. Methodology of the Patient Satisfaction Survey Demographics 4 5. Key 2014 survey results including comparisons with 2013 results Conclusion and future actions 7 7. Appendix 1 Activities carried out by Patients In Partnership (PiP) since April Appendix 2 Survey results by question

2 1) Executive Summary This is the third annual Patient Survey carried out by Wallingford Medical Practice (the Practice) as a joint project with the Patient Participation Group Patients in Partnership (PiP). Patients were invited to respond to a survey (either online or on paper) in order to provide the Practice and PiP with feedback regarding their experience of the Practice and the recent care they have received. We received 1099 (2013: 750) responses to the survey, which was very pleasing. We attribute this improvement to the fact that the survey was live for approximately 6 weeks in 2014 (2013: 2-3 weeks). 90% of respondents had visited the surgery in the past 6 months, so survey responses are based on recent experience. Thank you to all patients who completed the survey. 2) Background a) The Practice Wallingford Medical Practice serves the population of the market town of Wallingford and the rural villages and hamlets within a five-mile radius. Our patient numbers have risen gradually over the last few years and our current patient population is just over 16,300. Wallingford s population is predominantly White British with the largest proportion of that population being over the age of 55 years. (Reference b) Practice Organisation The Practice is open from 08:00 18:30 Monday to Friday and also has a commuter surgery every Saturday morning between 08:15 12:15. We have ten doctors (plus two trainee GPs), six nurses and two healthcare assistants, all supported by a large team of receptionists and administrative staff. We offer a full range of services to all our patients from our purpose-built premises, including a dispensing service for patients who live more than 1 mile from a chemist. Patients can access the practice throughout the day in person, by telephone, by or via the Web. We also offer online appointment booking and an online prescription request service. The surgery is on the same site as the Wallingford Community Hospital and offers on-site, free car parking including a number of disabled bays. 2

3 c) The Patient Participation Group (Patients in Partnership - PiP) Patient participation is a unique partnership between patients, GPs and their practice which is essential to and results in high quality and responsive care. Patient Participation Groups (PPGs) work in partnership with their practices to: help patients to take more responsibility for their health. contribute to the continuous improvement of services and quality of care foster improved communication between the practice and its patient provide practical support for the practice and help to implement change Taken from the website of the National Association of Patient Participation ( The Patient Participation Group for the Practice is called Patients in Partnership (PiP) and was set up by the Practice in A year later in 2011, the government introduced a new directed enhanced service (DES) which encouraged those practices which did not already have a patient group to start one in order to facilitate communication with patients and encourage greater patient participation. In setting up the Patient Participation Group (PPG) we initially contacted patients from all age groups over the age of 16. We launched a campaign using local publications, our website and posters in the waiting room inviting patients to join the group. As a result of early meetings in 2010, a Core Group was formed to take the PPG forward. They chose the name Patients in Partnership (PiP), appointed a chair person, established a working structure and drew up a constitution, which was ratified by the wider membership at the first AGM. The Core Group has undergone change since then but is now firmly established as a group of seven active members: 5 women and 2 men, with a mix of backgrounds and skills. Collectively, they represent those of our patients who are working professionals, those who have retired, those with caring responsibilities, and those with young children. Membership of the wider PiP group now stands at 184. All patients are invited to become members of PiP, enabling the Core Group to disseminate information to, and to seek ideas and opinions from, a broader, more diverse membership base. PiP Activities Whilst the Core Group is not representative of all age groups, members continue to work hard to ensure all sectors of our patient population are reached and feel involved. Appendix 1 gives details of the PiP Core Group and a summary of the activities undertaken by PiP throughout the past 12 months. The Practice and PiP have organised a Family Open Day on Saturday 12 th April 2014 between 10 and There will be short talks by doctors, nurses and administrative staff as well as the opportunity to chat informally to them about their roles and to learn what goes on behind the scenes. There will be information sessions, tours of the surgery, activities for children and visiting health organisations. 3

4 3) Methodology of the Patient Satisfaction Survey 2014 The objective of the survey is to gain feedback from patients with regard to the practice and the care they receive and in order to fulfil the requirements of Patient Participation Directed Enhanced Service. The survey project was initiated in October 2013, with a meeting held between PiP Core Group members and Janet Newman, the Practice Manager. One of the key objectives was to start the project early in order to maximise response times. We also wanted to make the data collection and analysis more efficient as this work is done at a very busy time of year for the Practice. During this initial meeting we identified five key areas for which we wanted feedback from patients: Access to the surgery including the appointments system Clinical care Car parking Communication Carers We made the decision to use the online Survey Monkey software to improve the ease of use for respondents and to reduce the time required to collect and analyse results. This also enabled a paper version of the survey to be produced without any additional effort. Survey items were worded as positive statements on a 4 or 5 point scale, or as direct questions. Comment boxes were provided for respondents to give more detailed feedback. We created a timetable with the aim of going live with the survey in early January and running it until the end of February. The survey was launched on 13 th January and was closed on 4 th March. The survey was launched via for those patients for whom the practice holds an address, a link was added to the front page of the practice website and paper copies were placed in reception and at the Wallingford Town Information Centre. 4) Demographics This year we wanted to start building up a picture of how far the survey respondents are representative of the entire patient body, so we collected a small amount of demographic data to assist with this task; results are as follows: a) Age: There were two age groups that were under-represented in the survey and one age group that was over-represented: Practice Survey years 19% 6% years 14% 25% 81 years and older 15% 4% For all other age groups the percentage of respondents was consistent with the percentage within the practice. The age group 0-15 accounts for 19% of patients in the practice, but is obviously excluded from the survey. b) Gender: In the practice, 51% of patients are female and 49% male. Respondents to the survey were 65% female and 35% male. c) 82% of respondents live within 3 miles of the surgery. d) Children: 77% of respondents have children. 4

5 5) Key 2014 survey results including comparisons with 2013 results a) Appointment Booking System i) Of respondents who had not booked an appointment in the past 6 months, 14% gave as a reason the fact that they could not get an appointment this has increased from 9% in However, the overall dissatisfaction with getting an appointment has decreased with 33% (2013: 45%) of respondents giving negative satisfaction ratings for booking an appointment by telephone and 17% (2013: 27%) of respondents giving negative satisfaction ratings for booking an appointment online. Following the results of the 2013 survey, the Practice has implemented various actions throughout the year on this topic. This includes several awareness campaigns to inform patients of the booking process, a flow chart in reception and on the website to explain the appointments system, communicating the options and choices available to patients. It is therefore encouraging that, although some respondents have had difficulty in getting an appointment, the overall satisfaction levels with the appointment system have improved significantly. There were a significant number of comments expressing frustration with the appointments system, including many comments regarding the timing of releasing appointments at 8.30am, particularly for commuters or those taking children to school. ii) 70% (2013: 72%) of respondents cited the telephone as the primary method of making an appointment with 19% (2013: 19%) using the online booking system and 10% (2013: 8%) in person. It is disappointing that the uptake of the online system for booking appointments has not increased during the year and this is an area that the Practice will focus on in the forthcoming year. b) Access to and facilities in the surgery i) Privacy at reception as a result of previous surveys we have introduced a confidential waiting room and waiting system to improve privacy for patients. There has been a decrease in dissatisfaction levels to 23% (2013: 31%). Although this is a good improvement, we would like to improve this further. ii) Access and facilities - the satisfaction rates remain consistently high at 97% in relation to this area. iii) Reception team in previous surveys there have been some negative comments and ratings regarding the reception team. The average satisfaction level in 2014 is 84% (2013: 81%) This is very pleasing as we have several new staff members to enhance our reception team. 5

6 c) Car parking Since the Community Mental Health service was moved to the hospital we are aware that car parking can be difficult at peak times of the day. However, the majority of the car park is neither owned nor controlled by the Practice. It is interesting to note that the proportion of respondents using a car to get to the surgery has increased from 62% in 2013 to 77% in In 2013, 56% of respondents indicated dissatisfaction with the car park and there were a significant number of comments highlighting this as a significant cause of frustration. However in 2014, 94% of respondents recognised that space is limited and allow additional time to park before appointments. Despite this high level of awareness, 56% of respondents have been late for their appointment as a result of not being able to park. ACTION: We continue discussions with the Estate s team as to the difficulties visitors to the site face. d) Privacy at Reception Measures were taken in 2012 to improve the level of privacy at reception, although there was not a marked improvement in satisfaction levels in However the level of dissatisfaction in 2014 has decreased significantly: 14% of respondents gave less than satisfactory scores compared to 42% in This is a significant improvement and reflects the installation of a new reception desk, a queuing system to increase privacy and the availability of the confidential room. e) Clinical care The level of satisfaction with the clinical care at the surgery is very high 96% positive or neutral ratings, with some variation in the detailed questions. 42% of respondents had been referred to hospital or outpatient clinics in the last 6 months. f) Communications with the surgery and Customer Service i) Computer use: 98% of respondents completed the survey online. Although the survey was communicated via and the practice website, paper copies were available in the surgery and in the Wallingford Town Information Centre. ii) addresses: the practice asks as many patients as possible to give their addressesas this is the quickest and most cost-effective way of communicating generic information to patients. The practice currently holds addresses for 7,300 patients, which represents 45% of the patient population. iii) Website: 46% of respondents regularly use the Practice website and 87% of respondents find the website extremely, quite or moderately easy to use, although there were several comments noting that it was a little outdated and difficult to navigate. There were several negative comments regarding the online booking system in this section and this is an area that we will seek to improve as well as increasing usage. iv) Regarding social media such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest, there was little enthusiasm for increased use from respondents, although as we lack respondents in the

7 age group, we cannot assume at this stage that this is representative of the entire patient population as these social media forums are generally used more by younger people. (1) Facebook: 65% of respondents have an account but only 12% are very likely to use Facebook to receive information from the Practice. There were a significant number of comments advising against Facebook as a method of communication due to the potential for this to become a unfair forum for negativity. (2) Twitter: 37% of respondents have an account. This is not representative of the age group. (3) Instagram and Pinterest: Only 25% and 26% respectively of respondents have an account. This is not representative of the age group. v) Awareness of PiP was good, with 75% of respondents being aware of PiP and 15% of respondents being members of PiP. Only 31% of respondents were aware of the PiP notice board in the waiting room. ACTION: A new heading is required for the notice board. g) Carers The percentage of respondents who are carers in 2014 was 6% (2013: 7%). However 50% of the respondent carers would like further information to help them in this role and almost 50% were interested in the new PiP Carers Group. 6) Conclusion and future actions a) Appointments system: although satisfaction levels have increased significantly, this remains an area of frustration for patients and we will continue to improve the satisfaction levels by: i) Continuing awareness campaigns to educate patients about how the appointments system works, as well as informing them of options available other than seeing a GP. ii) Improving the uptake of the online booking system in preference to the telephone. b) Car parking continue dialogue with Estate. c) Reception team ongoing training and regular update sessions. d) Clinical care we will continue to maintain a high standard of clinical care. e) There were several comments made by respondents regarding the dispensary and this is a topic that we will include in our next survey. 7

8 7) Appendix 1 Activities carried out by Patients In Partnership (PiP) since April 2013 PiP Core Group The current Core Group for is: Val Wolsey (Chair), Emma Firth (Treasurer), Simon Josephs, Katherine Parker, Nick Treadaway, Patience Thomson, Hannelie Van Der Merwe. Past Core Group members: Chris Storey helps with Carers Group; Sally Wehmeier attends South East Locality Forum meetings. PiP Membership Over 180 patients are members of the virtual membership group who have provided PiP with their /contact information. These members play an active part when consultations are needed. Individual members have given invaluable help to PiP Core Group with various activities during the year. Contact with the Practice Each month the Practice Manager, Janet Newman holds a meeting with the Core Group. Topics discussed have covered: 111 service, a new practice booklet, a chart to aid booking appointments, providing an Information Centre in the surgery, online appointments, contact with schools, hospital visiting, Facebook, winter pressure money, flu clinics, feedback from Care Quality Commission meetings, Car parking, the new TV screen in reception, Did Not Attends. Gift to surgery in memory of Charles Harrison The widow of a past member of the Core Group, Charles Harrison, kindly donated a sum of money from the donations at his funeral to be used for item(s) to benefit patients in the surgery. Three high chairs are now in use and a plaque to commemorate this gift will be placed on PiP s notice board. Contact with Patients The surgery holds 7,500 addresses and regular information is sent out in this way. (16,300 patients are registered) For those without computer contact, we have taken a new approach and now use the monthly local magazine, delivered to every home in the Wallingford area, for regular information and updates of activities; this way we reach over 4,000 homes and on some occasions with other local magazines 6,500 homes. The quarterly newsletter was not being as widely read as we had hoped and paper copies were seldom taken from the surgery. PiP also has a notice board in the surgery Meetings: The Core Group found that evening meetings, whether in the surgery or in the town were not well attended. In April 2013 the meeting to discuss the Patient Satisfaction Survey was attended by six patients and we drew the conclusion that patients did not want such meetings,which involve a considerable amount of work and some cost. This year we are arranging an Open Day at the surgery (See report) on 12th April

9 Patient Satisfaction Survey This year Core Group members, Emma and Katherine, wrote the survey using Survey Monkey. It was distributed by , the Practice website and as paper copies and 1,099 patients completed it, which was remarkable. The report will be published by 31st March 2014 and can be viewed on the Practice and PiP websites. Activities during Regular: Two members of PiP Core Group attend the South East Locality Forum meetings. Attended by other PPGs these are particularly useful for networking. Exchange of ideas and views are carried out on a day-to-day basis by s. Meetings are held every two to three months. Regular: A member of the Core Group attends the Oxfordshire Clinical Commissioning Group (OCCG) meetings mainly in an observational capacity. May: PiP attended the launch of Healthwatch and signed up as a member. June: National Association for Patient Participation Annual Conference.(NAPP) This was held in Bristol and attended by Emma and Simon. June: Carers Awareness Week. Who cares if YOU are ill? was the title for the first PiP Carers Group meeting held in St Mary s Church, Wallingford. The group continues to meet on the second Tuesday each month. Carers Oxfordshire are regular attendees and each month a speaker from a different organisation is invited to come along. In April this year we have a First Aid course. October: Telemonitoring - six members of PiP were asked to take part in monitoring their blood pressure at home for 6 months. This was an NHS exercise in remote monitoring. October: Val attended the opening of a local care home by Angela Rippon who is an ambassador for the Alzheimer s Society and a terrific supporter of well-run care homes. October: PiP members stood by to help patients in the surgery during the flu clinic period. November: PiP took a stand at the Age UK Wallingford Information Fair in the town centre. Val reported that It was well attended and a useful occasion. November: Two PiP members, Val Wolsey and Chris Storey attended the Caring Matters Conference at Cowley Unipart Conference Centre. A sell-out. Excellent speakers. Useful information stands. January: Preparations started for the Wallingford Medical Practice Family Open Day to be held on 12 th April February: Ten schools received an invitation for their pupils to take part in a poster design competition for the Open Day. Five schools sent in entries for the three age groups and the prizes will be presented by the mayor, who was one of the judges, at the event. The outright winner s design has been used for all the publicity. March: PiP had a stand at Wallingford Community Engagement Event in St Mary s Church organised by Bluebird Care Company. Well attended and a number of good contacts. An opportunity to promote the Open Day. On these occasions our stand is alongside Carers Oxfordshire as we work closely together. On two occasions during the year, Val was invited as a speaker to talk to group meetings in the town about Patient Participation Groups and the work we do. Over the last 12 months Val has been invited to visit and assist three other medical practices to try to help them create an active PPG. These are Farringdon, The Manor and Botley. All have been appreciative and been able to develop further. Contact is maintained. 9

10 Ongoing: The theme for the Open Day is It s all in a day s work. Doctors, nurses and receptionists together with the practice manager will be giving short talks in the waiting area. There will be guided tours for patients to see behind the scenes. The IT manager will be giving training for registering and using online booking (the need for this was made apparent in the survey). Nurses will be providing activities for the children which will be fun and educational. The dispensary staff will give advice on handling medicines. The twelve consultation rooms will be used by various organisations to provide information on a wide range of topics to help patients take care of their own health. Our charity for the day is the local Air Ambulance. 10

11 Appendix 2 Survey results 11

12 12

13 13

14 14

15 15

16 16

17 17

18 18

19 19

20 20

21 21

22 22

23 23

24 24