8. PSA AND DSO PERFORMANCE
8.1.9 Can the Department provide the new data
for 2008-09 which will be used to assess progress against
PSA indicator 19.6 (Patient-reported experience of access
to GP services, as measured by an average of five indicators in
the GP Patient Survey (GPPS) covering telephone access, 48-hour
access, advanced booking, seeing a specific GP and opening hours)?
Can the Department also provide information on the "broader
range of questions" that will be used to assess progress,
referred to in the Departmental Annual Report 2009 (p. 246)?
(Q100)
Answer
1. The results of the 2009 GP Patient
Survey were published on 30 June. The overall results show
that 91% of patients reported that they were either very satisfied
or fairly satisfied with overall care received. On specific access
questions:
— 70% of patients reported that they were
either very satisfied or fairly satisfied with their ability to
get through to their doctor's surgery on the phone.
— 84% of patients who tried to get a quick
appointment with a GP said they were able to do so within 48 hours.
— 76% of patients who wanted to book ahead
for an appointment with a GP reported that they were able to do
so.
— 77% of patients who wanted to book an
appointment with a particular doctor at their GP surgery said
they were able to do so all of the time or a lot of the time.
— 82% of patients responded that they were
either very satisfied or fairly satisfied with the hours their
GP surgery was open.
2. The way in which the GP access element
of the PSA 19 indicator is measured has changed, as the Department
of Health has agreed with the Prime Ministers' Delivery Unit to
adjust the measure 'patient experience of access' to more accurately
reflect and report actual patient experience.
3. Reporting on the PSA will be split into
two periods: Year 1 and Years 2 and 3. Year 1 will
be assessed based on the comparison that can be made between the
2008-09 survey and previous years but excluding the 'other'
categories to allow some comparability. It is acknowledged that
these surveys are not directly comparable and reporting will be
caveated accordingly. The remainder of the comprehensive spending
review (CSR) period will be based entirely on the new quarterly
survey using the 2008-09 survey as a baseline. Success will
be measured based on the five existing measures either improving
or not worsening and the indicator of overall satisfaction of
patients improving by 1% each year during the CSR.
4. From this year, the survey asks a much
broader range of questions about patients' experience of services.
This should make it easier to see how far GP practices are getting
the basics right, whether, for instance, patients find it simple
to make an appointment, whether they have the option of telephone
consultations, whether they can expect to be treated by helpful
and courteous staff, and whether the GP or practice nurse listens
to and understands their problems. This in turn will help recognise
and reward those practices that respond best to patients' views.
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