Accessing GP Services in Gloucestershire
Summary
Addressing the persistent concerns raised by residents about difficulties accessing GP services, we sought to understand the current situation amid the increasing pressure on GPs and the accelerated use of digital technology by GPs.
Key findings
- 56% of respondents had changed the way they access their GP in the past year.
- Poor communication causes confusion and frustration about appointment booking processes, triage systems, and the roles of different healthcare professionals.
- Patients with accessibility challenges, including language barriers and technology use, face difficulties engaging with GP practices.
- While some patients are keen to use digital services, there is frustration at the disparities in availability, complexity, and effectiveness of digital services across GP practices.
We reported our findings and recommendations to NHS Gloucestershire, and amongst other things, they made a commitment to develop information about GP services in a range of accessible formats and languages, by working with Healthwatch Gloucestershire, the Local Medical Committee, Patient Participation Groups (PPG), Gloucestershire Deaf Association, Inclusion Gloucestershire, and language interpretation and translation services.
Downloads
If you need this report in a different format, please email info@healthwatchgloucestershire.co.uk or call 0800 652 5193 .
