PATIENT FOCUS GROUP REPORT FOR PERIOD APRIL 2016 - MARCH 2017
NEWLANDS MEDICAL CENTRE
BOROUGH ROAD
MIDDLESBROUGH TS1 3RX
Group Profile
We value the opinions of all of our patients and have been actively trying to recruit
members onto our patient reference group, either virtual or physical.
We keep a register of patients on our virtual group to our contact lists and we now
have an established, active group who are representative of all ages in the practice.
Our profile one at March 2017 consisted of:
Young - Aged less than 40 years
Single Parents
Ethnic Minority Group
Unemployed
Disabled
Retired patients
Patients in their teens
Patients with a learning disability
Patient Reference Group Distribution Report 29/03/2017
The total number of patients in our group is 51, we are still actively trying to recruit more
members to the group.
Attendance
Ethnicity
Age
Our group make up now covers a broad range of patients. We have managed to
recruit a patient with Learning Disabilities for this year and we also have managed to
recruit in every age group. We continue to try and encourage group members to
attend our physical meetings and we shall publish the meetings on line and in the
newsletter one year in advance to try and encourage attendance.
Survey Results
Telephone access continues to be a problem and 29% of patients continue to flag
getting through on the telephones as a problem.
Our survey results show a significant increase in satisfaction with 42.5% of patients
stating getting through on the telephone is good or very good and 26% stating getting
through on the telephone is satisfactory. There still appears to be a national poor
rating on getting through on the telephone and this continues to be one of our poorest
scores with 29% of respondents stating they have a problem. Last survey showed
29% found this poor therefore no change with dissatisfaction, however, good or very
good has increased.. Although locally we are mid table with these results we shall
still take actions to put resources to busy times and alter working patterns to support.
It is pleasing to note that 85% of our patients answered good or very good to the way
in which reception team handle their requests and this response continues to improve
year on year and only 1% answering poor.
We shall continue with our positive approach of telling patients what they can have
and not what they cannot have. We have also agreed patient core values with our
patient reference group and circulated these to our virtual group.
Getting an appointment with any doctor or nurse gave a response of 39.5% answering
good, 19% answering very good, 25.5% answering satisfactory and 9.5% answering
poor although we offer online booking, telephone consultations, telephone advice,
face to face pre bookable, appointments on the day and emergency appointments. We
also offer extended hours and shall release more appointments every 3 days to
improve pre bookable.
An appointment with doctor of choice raised an issue again, however, the poor
response is down on last year with 27.5% answering poor, satisfactory 25.5% and
only 33.5% Good which is a large increase on last year and 11% very good. This are
continues to improve and telephone advice seems to support this, although currently
unfunded.
How quickly seen to appointment time – only 4% a decrease of 50% in prior year
which should be commended. 19% satisfactory, 40% good and 25% very good which
is an increase on last year. We continue to inform patients when doctors are running
late and continue to try and see patients who are running late within the 10 minutes of
their appointment time. This is reflected in the improvements shown in year.
How quickly can you get advice by a doctor or nurse – Poor 3%, satisfactory 21%,
good 48% and very good 23.% we continue to offer telephone advice and bespoke
prescription advice on a daily basis. Again this is reflected in the improvement on
prior year.
How easily can you get a home visit – Poor 5.5%, satisfactory 14.5%, good 29% and
very good 14.5% - we continue to triage home visit requests by a doctor and clinical
to ensure appropriateness of visit and this again is reflected in the improvement.
Available times of appointments – Poor 5.5%, satisfactory 26.5%, good 43%, very
good 22% our patients are happy with early morning appointments and we continue to
promote our appointment times.
How thoroughly did the doctor or nurse listen to your symptoms – Poor 0%,
satisfactory 6.5%, good 31% and very good 60% a major increase on prior year.
How well did the doctor or nurse put you at ease – Poor 0%, satisfactory 4% good
32.5% and very good 61%.
How quickly were swabs, ECG, bloods arranged at the practice – Poor 1%,
satisfactory 8%, Good 39% and very good 45.5%.
Second opinion within practice how quickly was this arranged – Poor 0.5%,
satisfactory 7.5% good 34.5%, very good 27.5%.
How quickly did we arrange referral to specialist – Poor 2%, satisfactory 7.1%, Good
34.8% and very good 41.4% - We continue to meet our letter targets of 3 days.
The change to this question has improved the results with very good rising over the
year.
How well did the doctor or nurse explain the cause of your symptoms – Poor 0%,
satisfactory 7%, good 37%, very good 53%.
How well did the doctor or nurse deal with your worries or concerns – Poor 1.5%,
satisfactory 6%, good 35.5% and very good 54%.
How approachable was the doctor or nurse to discuss any problems you have – Poor
0.5%, satisfactory 7.5%, good 32.5% and very good 56.5%.
How involved did you feel in decisions about your care – Poor 1%, satisfactory 10%,
good 34% and very good 49.5%
How well did the doctor or nurse deal with preventative care – keeping you healthy –
Poor 1%, satisfactory 10.4%, good 35.8% and very good 46.3%.
Were you offered a follow up appointment or told when to return if necessary – Poor
0%, satisfactory 4.5%, good 40.8% and very good 41.3%.
How does our being a training practice affect the quality of your care – Poor 0.5%,
satisfactory 13.9%, good 43.3% and very good 31.8%. We shall continue to promote
Registrars as qualified doctors and we would hope to see this good and very good
response increase as we are a training practice.
What do you feel about the range of services offered by the practice – Poor 0.5%,
satisfactory 10%, good 48%, very good 37%.
Overall how do you rate the quality of care provided by the practice – Poor 1%,
satisfactory 6%, good 44.5%, very good 44.5%.
Why did you attend a walk in – No appts left at surgery 17.1%, Surgery Closed
24.6%, suited my timetable for the day 13.5%, never been to a walk in 30%
Actions taken to recruit:
The practice has continues to include consent to contact by email onto the patient
registration form. The practice informs patients that they will be emailed surveys and
by providing the email address they consent to being contacted from time to time.
We have introduced a practice newsletter and are trying to encourage patients to
attend our meetings in person via this method and a notice in the waiting room.
We added the patient reference group to the updated practice booklet and website.
We have put up a poster in the waiting room.
Survey questions and priorities
The survey questions for 2016/17 were agreed at a Patient Reference Group Meeting
held on 4th May 2016. Minutes attached.
Priorities for 2016/17 were also agreed at that meeting.
 To continue with current opening times
 To educate patients to seek help from appropriate places, pharmacy etc
 To continue with telephone advice and triage unfunded for emergency
appointments, home visit requests and medication queries.
 To release pre bookable 3 days before , one appointment per surgery session.
 To display a poster and put recorded on our telephone as to why the admin
team need to ask questions around why patients need to see or speak to a GP
urgently.
 Remove patients from list for persistent failure to attends.
 Display DNA numbers and a poster.
 Try to increase the number of patients attending the patient focus group
meetings.
 To display a recruitment poster in waiting room to increase membership.
 To diarise quarterly meetings one year in advance.
Survey Methodology
Copy of the practice survey 2016/17
Date range: May – July 16
Patients were given surveys in the waiting room and returned them to the practice.
Methodology was agreed at the PRG meeting on 4th May 2016.
Patient survey was undertaken on paper by giving out surveys in the waiting room
Group agreed the survey rate of 25 per GP was adequate for this year.
Questions shall remain unchanged.
Action Plan
The action plan was agreed at 8th March 2017



To continue with current opening times
To educate patients to seek help from appropriate places, pharmacy etc
To continue with telephone advice and triage unfunded for emergency
appointments, home visit requests and medication queries.
 To release pre bookable 3 days before , one appointment per surgery session.
 To display a poster and put recorded on our telephone as to why the admin
team need to ask questions around why patients need to see or speak to a GP
urgently.
 Remove patients from list for persistent failure to attends.
 Display DNA numbers and a poster.
 Try to increase the number of patients attending the patient focus group
meetings.
 To display a recruitment poster in waiting room to increase membership.
To diarise quarterly meetings one year in advance
Documents Published
Survey Summary of
results 2016 17.xlsx
Survey questions remain unchanged from 2015/16 as per results 2016/17
PFGMins04 05 16 no
names for Virtual.docx
Survey results published on website by 31st March 2017
www.newlandsmedical.org.uk
Practice Opening Hours
Monday – Friday 7.30am – 5.45 The Premises are open
Saturday, Sunday and Bank Holidays are Closed
Extended hours are operated by doctors, nurses and HCA Monday to Friday 7.30am
until 8.00am.
Monday – Friday 8.00am – 6.00pm Telephone contact is available