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NHS Improving Access Survey Poster_Got 10mins.pdf

NHS Northumberland Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) is starting an extensive piece of research and engagement this month, to gather views on accessing healthcare in General Practices.

During the pandemic there were changes made to the way GP services were accessed. Many of these changes were national requirements, with a purpose to manage increasing demand, such as greater use of telephone consultations, e-consultations, video calls and SMS texting.

Over the last two years, the CCG has been contacted from a number of our stakeholders and we are aware of some of the negative experiences perceived by patients, relating to the national changes and introduction of varying consultation and access routes. This work is designed in line with the feedback we have received from you all, as well as the public in Northumberland.

The aim of this project is to evaluate patients' experiences of accessing their GP practice to ensure their views influence any future service changes and help us understand what we have heard and are currently hearing. The project will also look at the impact of the changes and current pressures on the workforce in General Practice, and build the confidence of the services available in Primary Healthcare Teams.

The CCG has commissioned Explain Market Research to engage with the Northumberland population to better understand their views. A number of methods are being adopted for the patient engagement including an online survey.

A copy of the survey can be found here and patients have until 25 February to complete it. The survey seeks to understand patients’ views on issues such as which healthcare professional they would prefer to see, how quickly they want to be seen, whether weekend and evening appointments are useful, and how far they are willing to travel or would a telephone or video consultation be preferable.

The CCG wants to ensure as many people as possible share their views on accessing GP services in Northumberland. We would be grateful if you could help us by raising awareness of our engagement and encourage people to complete the survey.

What we are asking you to do:

  • Circulate the article below to help raise awareness of the survey
  • Share Northumberland CCG Twitter and Facebook social media posts @NHSNLandCCG and NHS Northumberland CCG
  • Contact us if your communities would like paper copies of the survey or posters promoting the survey.

The results of the engagement will be used to help inform future changes and improvements to access general practices and meet the expectations of the wider population of Northumberland. By understanding the choices patients are willing to make, the CCG will be able to consider how resources can be better allocated in the county to improve both practice and patient experience.

We greatly value your support in helping us design healthcare services to meet the needs of patients and look forward to keeping you updated once the engagement is complete.

Should you have any queries please contact please contact the NHS Engagement Team by emailing norccg.comms@nhs.net or call 01670 335 157.

Article

Share your views about accessing GP practices

Patients, carers and members of the public in Northumberland are being urged to have their say about accessing healthcare at GP practices.

NHS Northumberland Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), which is responsible for buying and planning the county’s healthcare, would like to better understand patient experiences to help inform any future changes to accessing GP services in the county.

Through an online survey, the CCG wants to gather patients’ views on issues such as which healthcare professional they are willing to see, how quickly they want to be seen, if weekend and evening appointments are useful, and how far they are willing to travel or if a telephone or online consultation would be preferred.

The survey is available here and is open until 25 February.

It will take around 10 minutes to complete. And as a thank-you, those sharing their views will be given the option to be entered into a prize draw where they could win a £100, £50 or £25 High Street voucher.

For more information or to receive paper copies of the survey, norccg.comms@nhs.net or call 01670 335 157.

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