Patient Participation Group and Patient Survey 2014

Background Information

Our PPG spans all 3 sites and the regular members are very proactive in helping the surgeries improve the service we offer patients. Whilst we are lucky in having regular members, we are aware that other patients may have much to contribute too but work or childcare commitments may prevent them from attending meetings on site.

To try and involve as many patients as possible, two years ago, we set up a virtual PPG where patients can e-mail us with comments or concerns and we are actively promoting this at all 3 sites. We also ensure that any changes to our services and/or access to the surgery are displayed in each surgery giving patients the chance to comment.

Patient Survey

Last year, working in collaboration with the PPG & VPRG, we identified priority areas and constructed a survey to benchmark patients’ views on the practice performance including areas such as booking appointments, cleanliness of the surgery and access to the surgery. Once we had the results, we agreed an Action Plan.

Following on from the success last year we have replicated this moving forward and met with our PPG on four separate occasions to discuss this years template for the survey and post survey the results and this years action plan has been prepared.

Further regular PPG meetings will be held over the coming 12 months to monitor the 2014 action plan and we hope these will continue to be as productive to the practice as they have been in the past.

We are happy to report that once again this year a further reduction has occurred :-

  • The percentage of patients who feel that they were not kept informed when surgeries ran late has decreased from 17% to 9% and this year we achieved a 2% result.

Two years ago the Practice self funded to offer an extended service to our patients and our Mexborough Surgery is now open from 8am to 8pm, Monday to Friday and can be used by patients from any of our Practices. We have actively publicised this with posters in our surgeries, on our websites and in our practice leaflets over the period and as a result:

  • The percentage of patients who were not aware of our opening hours decreased from 7% to 4%, with the number of patients who are aware that we can offer later appointments rising again this year.
  • Fewer patients felt that there were no appointments available or that the times offered didn’t suit.

To view the full results, click on the link:

Once again, responses to the survey were broadly in line with our patient base indicating that we have been able to obtain the views all across our patient spectrum.

Action Plan

Going forward to the coming year, we have agreed that our priority areas are as below:

  • Continuing to make patients aware via posters, the website and the practice leaflet of the extended opening hours we offer and offering patients the opportunity to make use of these facilities at our other branches if that is more convenient.
  • Ensuring that patients who wish to speak to a receptionist in private are able to do so, using posters, the website and the practice leaflet to make patients aware that they are able to do so.
  • Continuing to advise and update patients if a clinical session is running late for any reason.

Practice Opening Times

Core Hours are 8am – 6pm Monday to Friday and access to services can be gained by telephone or by visiting the surgery in person. We provide extended hours between 9am – 12noon alternate Saturday mornings.
Core Hours are 8am – 6pm Monday to Friday and access to services can be gained by telephone or by visiting the surgery in person. We provide extended hours between 9am – 12noon alternate Saturday mornings and each evening between 6.30pm and 8pm.
Core Hours are 8am – 6pm Monday to Friday and access to services can be gained by telephone or by visiting the surgery in person. We provide extended hours between 6.30pm and 7.30pm each Tuesday evening.


Askern, Mexborough and Conisbrough Medical Practice – Working in collaboration with our Patient Participation Group

December 2013 Patient Survey Results

A. Appointments at your GP Surgery

Q1. At which GP Surgery are you a registered patient?

Askern Medical Practice5037%
Mexborough Medical Practice5037%
Coinsbrough Medical Practice3626%

Q2. When did you last see a doctor at the Surgery ?

In the past 3 months 9772%
Between 3 and 6 months ago 1713%
More than 6 months ago 2015%
I have never been seen at my present GP Surgery00%


Q3. How do you normally book your appointments to see a doctor, nurse practitioner or nurse at the Surgery?
Please tick all the circles that apply

In person3425%
By phone10275%
By fax00%
Online00%

Q4. If Surgery is running late are you kept informed?

Always8966%
Most of the time3627%
Occasionally65%
Never22%


B. Access by telephone to your GP Surgery

Q5. Throughout your call to Surgery – how helpful and courteous did you find the receptionist?

Very Helpful11788%
Fairly Helpful64%
Not Helpful97%
Don’t know21%

C. Seeing a Doctor

Q6. In the past 6 months have you tried to see a doctor fairly quickly? By fairly quickly we mean on the same day
or in the next two week days that the Surgery was open.

Yes11988%
No1410%
Can’t remember32%

Q7. Think about the last time you tried to see a doctor fairly quickly. Were you able to see a doctor on the same
day or in the next two week days that the Surgery was open?

Yes6368%
No1718%
Can’t remember1314%

Q8. If you weren’t able to be seen during the next 2 week days that the Surgery was open, why was that?
Please tick all the answers that apply

There weren’t any appointments1012%
Times offered didn’t suit3441%
Appointment was with a doctor who I didn’t want to see34%
A nurse was free but I wanted to see a doctor22%
Was offered an appointment at a different branch of my surgery00%
Another reason6%7%
Can’t remember2834%


Q9. In the past 6 months, have you tried to book ahead for an appointment with a doctor? By ‘booking ahead’ we mean booking an appointment more than two week days in advance.

Yes8764%
No1914%
Can’t remember3022%

Q10. Last time you tried, were you able to get an appointment with a doctor more than 2 week days in advance?

Yes7156%
No2117%
Can’t remember3427%

D. Arriving for your appointment

Q11. How easy do you find getting into the building at the Surgery?

Very easy12491%
Fairly easy129%
Not very easy00%
Not at all easy00%

Q12. How clean is the Surgery?

Very clean12793%
Fairly clean97%
Not very clean00%
Not at all clean00%

Q13. In the Reception Area, can other patients overhear what you say to the Receptionist?

Yes, but I don’t mind7454%
Yes and I am not happy about it. I would prefer to speak to a receptionist in a private room2317%
No, other patients can’t overhear97%
Don’t know3022%

Q14. How professional do you find the receptionists on arrival at the Surgery?

Very11685%
Fairly118%
Not very97%
Not at all00%

Q15. If driving to the Surgery how easy do you find it to park?

Very12088%
Fairly00%
Not very97%
Not at all00%

E. Opening Hours

Q16. How satisfied are you with the opening hours at the Surgery?

Very9368%
Fairly1713%
Neither satisfied nor dissatisfied1914%
Quite dissatisfied00%
Very dissatisfied00%
Don’t know opening hours75

Q17. As far as you know is the Surgery open … Please put a tick in each row

YesNoSometimesDon’t know
Before 9am1167111
At lunchtime7814215
After 5:30pm7711720
On Saturdays61241115
On Sunday09419

Q18. Would you like to see any changes to our surgery opening times?

Yes2216%
No11484%

F. Your Overall Satisfaction

Q19. In general, how satisfied are you with the care you get at the Surgery?

Very10074%
Fairly2921%
Neither satisfied no dissatisfied75%
Quite dissatisfied00%
Very dissatisfied0%

Q20. Would you recommend the Surgery to someone who has just moved to your local area?

Yes10980%
Maybe1713%
Not Sure21%
Probably Not00%
Definitely Not43%
Don’t Know43%

G. About the people who responded to the Survey

Q21. Are you male or female?

Male7152%
Female6548%

Q22. How old are you?

Under 170%55 – 6417%
17 – 249%65 – 7415%
25 – 3420%75 – 848%
35 – 4412%85 +1%
45 – 5418%

Q23. Which of these best describes what you are doing at present? If more than one of these applies to you,
please tick the main one ONLY

Full-time paid work (30 hrs or more per week)4026%
Part-time paid work (under 30 hrs per week)2415%
Full-time education (school, college, university)21%
Unemployed138%
Permanently sick or disabled1912%
Fully retired from work4227%
Looking after the home106%
Doing something else53%

Q24. In general, would you say that your health is?

Excellent64%
Very good3726%
Good4934%
Fair4229%
Poor107%

Q25. Do you have any of the following conditions? Please include problems due to old age. Please tick all the
boxes that apply to you

Deafness or severe hearing impairment2513%
Blindness or severe visual impairment42%
A condition that substantially limits one or more basic physical activities, such as walking, climbing stairs, lifting or caring3418%
A learning difficulty21%
A long-standing psychological or emotional condition168%
Other, including any long-standing illness5227%
I do not have a long-standing condition5931%

Q26. Are you a parent or a legal guardian of any children aged less than 16 years currently living in your home?

Yes3324%
No10376%

Q27. Do you have carer responsibilities for anyone in your household with a long-standing health problem or
disability?

Yes3626%
No10074%

Q28. What is your ethnic group? (Chose one section from A to E below, and then select the appropriate option to
indicate your ethnic group)

White
British13891%
Irish00
Any other white background117%
Mixed
White & Black Caribbean11%
White & Black African00
White & Asian00
Any other Mixed background00
Asian or Asia British
Indian00
Pakistani00
Bangladeshi00
Any other Asian background00
Black or Black British
Caribbean11%
African11%
Any other Black background00
Chinese or other ethnic group
Chinese00
Any other ethnic group00

Q29. Which of the following best describes how you think of yourself?

Hetrosexual11884%
Gay/Lesbian21%
Bisexual11%
Other54%
I would prefer not to say1410%

Q30. Which of the following best describes your religion?

None4125%
Buddhist00%
Christian (Incl Church of England, Catholic, Protestant & Other Christian denominations)12074%
Hindu00%
Jewish00%
Muslim00%
Sikh00%
Other11%

Age/Sex Profiles

Under 1717 – 6465+Totals% of total practice population
Male11003575889556452%
Female10133281841513548%
Totals21136856173010699
% of Total Practice Population20%64%16%

Survey Responses

MaleFemaleUnder 1717 – 6465+
7165010333
% of total survey responses52%48%% of total survey responses0%76%24%

As you will see, proportionally the percentage of Male and Female patients replying to the survey was in line with the Practice population and, if you discount children registered at the Practice (they were not asked to complete the survey), the percentage of those above the age and below 65 who responded was also in line with the Practice population.

Survey Responses

Ethnicity Profiles

Practice Population
Total Population10699
No. Who consider themselves to be an Ethnic Minority134
% of Total Practice Population1.25%
Survey Responses
Total Responses136
No. who consider themselves to be an Ethnic Minority14
% of Survey responses10%

Carer Profiles

Practice Population106999
No. who consider themselves to be a Carer141
% of Total Practice Population1%
Survey Responses
Total Responses136
No. who consider themselves to be a Carer36
% of Survey Responses26%

Although a far higher proportion of our responses came from Carers, this is only to be expected as Carers are far more likely to visit the surgery since people requiring a Carer are often unwell or infirm.