Views on waiting times at Chorley Road
This report is part of a project commissioned from Healthwatch Bolton by Bolton GP Federation. The work took place at various sites in the Chorley Roads area.
Key findings
- Experiences of current GP waiting times are mixed.
- 14% reported being able to get same day appointments.
- 55% were able to get an appointment within a week.
- 38% said they would like a same day appointment.
- There was some concern that receptionists were triaging calls but not qualified to do so.
- Patients valued face to face time with practitioners.
Recommendations
- There needs to be more effort to standardise practice in relation to GP appointments arrangements. This should include things like balance of pre-bookable appointments to new appointments, balance of routine vs urgent appointments, standard set of options for making appointments (pre-book, online, telephone) as well as a clear statement of what is and is not acceptable in terms of waiting times. This finding is in line with the 2016 study in Farnworth.
- Patients generally dislike receptionists triaging calls, alternatives to this practice should be considered.
- Through the Bolton Engagement Alliance, Healthwatch Bolton/Bolton CVS, plan to extend the work on neighbourhood hubs to other areas, we will continue to ask about what people consider to be acceptable waiting times.
- It is hoped that the proposed Neighbourhood Hubs will address the unacceptable waiting times people experience for appointments with allied health professionals such as physio, podiatry and ear syringing. If this is achieved this will clearly improve patient’s experience and should lead to better outcomes in relation to early intervention and prevention
Downloads
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Snapshot of views at Chorley Road