Results from the GP Patient Survey 2022 across Dorset

As well as asking about the overall satisfaction of your GP, patients this year have also been asked to rate their experiences surrounding Covid, making an appointment, the easiness of the GP’s website and even the helpfulness of the receptionists. 

Here is a roundup of some of the results of the 2022 patient survey for GPs in Bournemouth, Christchurch, Poole and the rest of Dorset. 

How helpful do you find the receptionists at your GP? 

Coming out victorious for helpful receptionists was The Old Dispensary, with 100 per cent asked saying they were ‘very helpful’. The Apples Medical Centre, Corfe Castle Surgery, Yetminster Medical and Poundbury Doctors Surgery all received 99 per cent helpfulness for its receptionists. 

The remaining in the top 10 are Queens Avenue Surgery (98 per cent), Fordington Surgery (98 per cent), Orchid House Surgery (97 per cent), Stour Surgery (97 per cent) and The Barcellos Family Practice (96 per cent). 

How easy is it to use your GP practice’s website to look for information or access services? 

Yetminster Medical Centre scored highest on this, with 97 per cent of patients saying it was ‘very easy’ or ‘fairly easy’. Next was Puddletown Surgery (95 per cent), Corfe Castle Surgery (95 per cent), Queens Avenue Surgery (94 per cent) and Cerne Abbas Surgery (94 per cent).

In number six was Royal Crescent Surgery (92 per cent), The Bridges Medical Centre (92 per cent), Fordington Surgery (90 per cent), Milton Abbas Surgery (89 per cent) and The Apples Medical Centre (88 per cent). 

Image by PA

How satisfied are you with the general practice appointment times that are available to you? 

Patients were asked to rate how satisfied they were with the appointment time given to them. Patients at Corfe Castle Surgery were most satisfied, with a 95 per cent response of ‘very satisfied’ or ‘satisfied’. Next was The Barcellos Family Practice (89 per cent), Queens Avenue Surgery (89 per cent), Fordington Surgery (89 per cent), Puddletown Surgery (88 per cent) and Milton Abbas Surgery (87 per cent). 

Following in at number six was Cern Abbas Surgery (87 per cent), The Old Dispensary (86 per cent), Yetminster Medical Surgery (86 per cent) and Royal Crescent Surgery (84 per cent). 

Read more: GP patient survey reveals Dorset's best and worst practices

Have you, at any time in the last 12 months, avoided making a general practice appointment for any reason? 

Patients were also asked if they have avoided making an appointment with their GP in the last year. 

Reasons for this can include patients being worried about the risk of catching coronavirus, patients not having the time or because they were worried about the burden on the NHS. 

21 per cent of patients avoided making an appointment at The Rosemary Centre in Poole in the last year as they were worried about the risk of catching covid., and 39 per cent of patients avoided making an appointment at the practice because they were worried about the burden on the NHS.

Read more: GP numbers in Dorset have fallen since the pandemic

Overall, how would you describe your last experience of NHS services when you wanted to see a GP but your GP practice was closed? 

Patients were asked how satisfied they were with the service from the NHS when they wanted to see a GP but the practice was closed. 

Those rated ‘fairly good’ or ‘very good’ include Talbot Medical Centre (81 per cent), The Barcellos Family Practice (80 per cent), Lifeboat Quay Medical Centre (79 per cent), Altrium Health Centre (78 per cent) and Queens Avenue Surgery (77 per cent). 

Also scoring highly within the top 10 includes The Bridges Medical Centre (77 per cent), West Moors Village Surgery (74 per cent), Denmark Road Medical Centre (74 per cent), Moordown Medical Centre (72 per cent) and Royal Manor Health Care (69 per cent).