Sheffield Local Involvement Network

Today, the final report of the Access to GPs Action Group was presented to the Board of NHS Sheffield. The Action Group was formed in late 2009 to investigate public concern about making appointments. Their investigations led them to benchmark Sheffield against national data, conduct enter and view visits, quiz managers from NHS Sheffield and work with the Council's scrutiny board.

 The key findings of the report include the following points:

• Sheffield needs to address its patient satisfaction levels in the area of access to GPs. Although the figures for this satisfaction are falling nationally, Sheffield is several points below the national average on most measures
• Efficient appointment systems will become increasingly important
• More efficient and flexible ways of accessing GPs are also likely to ease pressure on Accident and Emergency services and be financially efficient
• Practices need to look at a range of solutions for ensuring that the public can access GPs at times and in ways that work for both.
• Practices also need to improve their communication with patients so that patients can also play their part in using scarce GP resources efficiently.

The report makes a number of recommendations; the key ones are for practices to:

1. Have drop-in or 'sit and wait' appointments where patients who arrive by a set time are guaranteed to be seen.
2. Have telephone appointments system in addition to the drop-in facility and encourage these patients to come at less busy or extended hours surgery times.
3. Have arrangements for telephone appointments
4. Ensure that slots are available for emergency appointments during surgery hours
5. Consider having a touch-screen facility where patients can register their arrival at the surgery without having to go to reception.
6. Have a mobile phone number for the hearing impaired to make appointments by text.
7. Improve communication with patients about appointment options.
8. Set up a 'Practice Patient Panel' to discuss the development of the practice and its services with patient representatives
9. Encourage patients to act responsibly around using GP resources and ensure they turn up to appointments.

Those attending the Board Meeting at NHS Sheffield welcomed the report and recommendations and acknowledged that while they have been making efforts in this area, more needs to be done. Please see NHS Sheffield's response to the report here.

The report has also captured the imagination of the local press and an article appeared in the Yorkshire Post on January 31 (above) and Mike Smith, Chair of Sheffield LINk, appeared on BBC Radio Sheffield the same day. The same story was picked up the following day by The Star.