Healthwatch Enfield has issued its initial report on the experiences of patients in GP surgery waiting rooms. The report looked at the following aspects:
Visible information regarding the following:
- Patient Participation Group (PPG)
- How to access out of hours care
- How to complain
- How to register
- Publicity for online services
- Availability of the GP Friends and Family Test (FFT)
- Booking interpreters
- The practice’s Care Quality Commission (CQC) rating
- The Improving Access to Psychological Therapies Service (IAPT)
- Healthwatch Enfield
Healthwatch Enfield also checked the following:
- That the information on display was generally up-to-date
- That the practice had clear signage
- The level of privacy at the reception desk
- How patients are called for appointments
- That entry into the building was accessible for all
- Accessibility of toilet facilities
- That there were sufficient chairs in the waiting area
- Whether the practice had a hearing loop
The report does not include any information about specific surgeries. However, detailed detailed results have been sent to all practices and all Patient Participation Groups so that they can all see how their practice compares with others.
Conclusions
The report includes the following conclusions:
We were encouraged by the good practice that we observed during our visits at the practices that had a range of useful up to date information on display.
We were however disappointed that a proportion of practices did not display much of the information we were looking for and consequently did not have this information on display for their patients.
It is our intention that this report is a reminder to all GP practices of the importance of providing information to patients whilst they are visiting the practice to aid good patient experience.
We hope that this report can serve as a handbook to all GP practices in Enfield, outlining minor improvements that all practices can make to ensure that their patients have access to useful up-to date information.
Provide your own feedback on GP waiting rooms
Healthwatch Enfield has an online facility called Tell Us Your Story.
Download link
Experiences of GP Waiting Rooms in Enfield: An Initial Report