1. Edlesborough / Pitstone Surgery Patient Survey Results 2012/2013

2. How the survey was devised Sample questions- from a bank of accepted questions. Existing Patient Participation Group felt the use of the same questions as last year would allow comparison from year to year. Survey put on the website and distributed in surgery- surgery ones more successful- positioning on website initially not high profile. No response answer omitted so % not 100

3. Over the last month, if you have visited your GP, how often has the Dr given you enough information about your condition or treatment? Pts who had not attended omitted for clarity throughout.

4. Are you aware that many matters can be dealt with by a Nurse Practitioner? 2012 and 2013 very similar within 1 %

5. At your last visit did you feel that the Dr/Nurse took appropriate action to deal with the reason(s) for your visit?

6. The last time you saw a doctor or nurse at the surgery, how good were they at each of the following? T Giving enough time

7. Asking about symptoms

8. Listening

9. Explaining tests 2013 17 % no response rate

10. Involving you in decision making

11. Treating you with care and compassion

12. Taking your problem seriously

13. On the last occasion you asked to see a Doctor or Nurse urgently were you offered an appointment on the same day or within a reasonable time?

14. In the past six months how easy have you found the following ? Getting through on the phone

15. Speaking to a doctor on the phone

16. Speaking to a nurse on the phone

17. Obtaining test results by phone

18. How do you find receptionists at the surgery in regard to the following? Politeness

19. Offering appointment times

20. General helpfulness

21. If you have experience of a telephone consultation with a doctor or nurse, how satisfied were you with this?

22. How clean is the GP surgery

23. Would you recommend the surgery to someone who has just moved to the area?

24. Comments Welcome to Dr Patel – Surgery keeping up with usual fab doctors. A very well run surgery. All staff always very helpful also in the dispensary. Always treated very well even when its so very busy, everyone has time for us. Really good surgery and Dr Patel a kind and compassionate lady. Thank you all for your care. As you can see everything is ok. Bigger car park? (2 patients commented). But there are too many people here already. Cannot understand why you cannot pick prescriptions up between 12 and 2. You could have someone (pharmacist) there and cut people down at other times. (3 pts made this comment). Routine doctors appointments (5 patients commented on difficulty).

25. Comments continued Reception layout needs improving (3 patients commented). Everyone at the surgery treat me with the greatest respect and kindness at all times. Nothing is too much trouble for them. I consider myself to be very lucky to have so much kindness and medical professionalism Dr Johnston is great and we would recommend her any day of the week, always professional and efficient, when Dr Johnston says she will do something, or ring you she always does. Her referral letters are excellent and we are delighted to say that Dr Johnston is our GP. Found the receptionists to be considerably helpful and approachable, the best I've come across. Certainly not like the reputation that most receptionist have. Well done for having lovely staff. Doctors are helpful and appear to be more on the ball at this surgery than others where I have been a patient. Mostly they get it right but they need to explain what the medication they prescribe is, ie: is it known by another name (antidepressant, HRT etc) and what effect it might have on pre existing conditions that patients have ie: will it affect asthma etc, otherwise the medication ends up being wasted and go in the bin and the reason for the visit to the doctors surgery not resolved. This could result in an illness getting worse. This isn’t a complaint, purely an observation. This is a lovely surgery, the best I have been a patient at!!

26. Comments continued Only use the Pitstone surgery where we find the regular staff here are extremely helpful. The pharmacy here is a big plus too. Although the friendliness at reception has improved in recent months, it would still be nice to get a smile occasionally. At reception the staff on occasions when you ask them to delete an item from your repeat prescription, write it on a piece of paper to carry out later. Then it is over looked and not carried out. You are then given the same items on your next prescription, which you do not require. costing the practice extra money. I find the surgery staff can be rude, and very unhelpful at times, and are sometimes very patronising. I think all the staff do a difficult job well. They could sometimes be a little more friendly. I was impressed to be offered an appointment at the Pitstone surgery when there was nothing available at Edlesborough. Thanks for everything you do. I had one instance of being given wrong information regarding a test result. Apart from that we both feel we have wonderful service from the practice. Love the new website - makes reordering prescriptions so much easier. Nice people to deal with :) Not very easy to pick up prescriptions if you work away from the area ie. not open Sat mornings!

27. Comments continued Sometimes it appears that not everyone is aware of the correct processes to follow. It can take a long time to get a letter from a doctor for example. Quite often repeat prescriptions are not ready and one has to make a trip between the pharmacy and the surgery (queue) to then go back and get the item. Worse, they're closed on Tuesday afternoons as well and they don't even answer the phone within a reasonable time when they claim to be open. Care needed with email security (2 patients commented) In your email you refer to the 'patient's survey' on the web site it is the 'practice survey'. It should be the same name. Otherwise we find the surgery very good and helpful. How much response do you get to this survey and is it worth the costs involved? Most of the receptionists are helpful and polite, one less so. Rarely speak on the phone to the doctor Reception staff are not all as helpful as they could be even in a genuine emergency. They could try a friendlier approach but one or two are very helpful which is appreciated. A smile helps. Sometimes it is difficult to make an appointment, as the telephone is usually engaged often call down to surgery instead. Some staff can be abrupt and rude if a patient has a complaint. The website (particularly the page with this survey) was confused and not well designed.

28. Comments continued Very happy with quality of care. We are very satisfied with all the help we receive from all at Cow Lane Surgery and Pharmacy. We receive first class treatment and are treated with the utmost respect and kindness at all times and are truly appreciative. We have always received excellent service from Dr Bell. Would be good to make blood test appointments with necessary blood tests directly with nurse. Waiting four days for prescription is bad. You don't need a doctor or nurse for this. Doctor are good and nurses when you manage to get an appointment. Just the best surgery I have ever been involved with- lovely doctors and staff. I am pleased to be at the surgery. I've had excellent attention from everyone I've seen. I am grateful to have such a wonderful doctor in Dr Johnston, nothing is too much trouble for her - she is brilliant. I did have one issue where I was told by reception that a letter for a private appointment had been sent to Aspire Hospital, Harpenden. When I had not received an appointment after 3 weeks I phone Edlesborough and this time was told that the letter was waiting for me to collect from the surgery so I lost 3 weeks in getting my appointment. Generally the service is very good - apart from time it takes to get through on the phone

29. Comments continued No option of emailing GP or Nurse or for making appointments on line. No NHS Choose and Book option offered, no told of choice of hospitals- Stoke Mandeville is the most difficult one to get to, esp for those working in Milton Keynes. After a difficult start at the surgery, things have now settled down and I am now satisfied with the service received I have found that my new doctor has been more pro-active with my general health than previous doctor/s that I used from my previous address. It's getting better. Less air freshened/perfume My first appointment resulted in calling an ambulance. Wonderful treatment and kindness from doctors and nurse. Receptionists need to be more efficient, polite and helpful to patients. Generally very pleased. Hopefully you will take into account my comments when constructing your next survey. I wanted to complete this online but could not find it on your new website. New website is an improvement. It would be good to have another male doctor but the compliment of female doctors is a step forward. Annual check ups for the over 60s would be an improvement. would be welcome. Improved external lighting for winter evenings should be taken forward for next year. Clarity for patients on what to do if you have two issues you need advice on. " which one do you want me to deal with today?" But when I asked a receptionist if I should make two appointments (back to back) I was told that is not the policy. It would be useful to know in addition to Dr Patel what the other doctors' interests/specializes are in order to choose which doctor may be appropriate for a particular condition.

30. Where the survey will be discussed Patient participation group meeting Staff Management team meeting Emailed out to members of the wider patient.

31. Actions as a result of feedback Lighting outside has been improved. There are plans to change the reception desk at the Edlesborough site and line the car park spaces. We are making plans to improve phone access including asking patients to phone after 2pm for routine test results. Patient participation group and reference group felt that changes in figures could be due to several factors- Dr Bell being on leave at time of survey Last years survey was carried out at a different time of year which may have had an impact. There have been major personnel changes over the last year particularly Dr Jones retirement. It is recognised that expectations generally are increasing and our challenge is to rise to this challenge.