Recent Research
Delivery of healthcare in the NHS General Practitioners
Prepared for The Times - February 2008
Table of Contents
Demographics
Q1. What proportion of the patients who are seeking appointments in your surgery
do you estimate are being seen within 48 hours of requesting an appointment?
Q2. How good do you think the present arrangements are for patients to make appointments
to see you?
Q3. Do you believe that the Government moves to increase the hours that GPs surgeries
are open will improve the access for patients to consult with you?
Q4. How do you believe that the Government moves to increase the hours that GPs
surgeries are open will affect the quality of healthcare for patients?
Q5. What effect, if any, do you think the polyclinics as outlined in Lord Darzi’s
plan for reorganising the NHS will have on the quality of health care provided?
Q7. How well do you think the nurse prescribing is working in general?
Q8. Overall how do you feel the NHS has performed for patients over the last 10
years?Demographics
| Decade Qualified | N | % |
| 1960s or before | 15 | 3% |
| 1970s | 152 | 30% |
| 1980s | 216 | 43% |
| 1990s | 95 | 19% |
| 2000s | 25 | 5% |
| Base | 503 |
| Position | N | % |
| Locum | 21 | 4% |
| GP Assistant | 9 | 2% |
| GP Registrar | 17 | 3% |
| GP Partner | 456 | 91% |
| Base | 503 |
| NHS region | N | % |
| Eastern | 51 | 10% |
| London | 45 | 9% |
|
North West Northern & Yorkshire |
59 61 |
12% 12% |
|
Northern Ireland Scotland |
16 46 |
3% 9% |
| South East | 69 | 14% |
| South West | 46 | 9% |
|
Trent Wales |
38 19 |
8% 4% |
| West Midlands | 53 | 11% |
| Base | 503 |
| Commitment | N | % |
| Full time | 441 | 88% |
| Part time | 62 | 12% |
| Base | 503 |
| Gender | N | % |
| Male | 401 | 80% |
| Female | 102 | 20% |
| Base | 503 |
Fieldwork:
Started: 19-02-08
Finished: 20-02-08
Sample: 503 GPs
Q1. What proportion of the patients who are seeking appointments
in your surgery do you estimate are being seen within 48 hours of requesting an
appointment?
|
|
Total |
|
|
Q1. % of the
patients |
N |
% |
|
10 - 20 |
7 |
1% |
|
21 - 30 |
13 |
3% |
|
31 - 40 |
4 |
1% |
|
41 - 50 |
29 |
6% |
|
51 - 60 |
31 |
6% |
|
61 - 70 |
30 |
6% |
|
71 - 80 |
87 |
17% |
|
81 - 90 |
105 |
21% |
|
91 - 100 |
197 |
39% |
|
Range (%) |
10 - 100 |
|
|
Average |
82.9 |
|
|
Base |
503 |
|
Q2. How good do you think the present arrangements are for patients to make appointments
to see you?
|
|
Total |
|
|
Q2. |
N |
% |
|
Excellent |
189 |
38% |
|
Good |
263 |
52% |
|
Neither good nor bad |
32 |
6% |
|
Bad |
14 |
3% |
|
Poor |
4 |
1% |
|
Unsure |
1 |
0% |
|
Base |
503 |
|
Q3. Do you believe that the Government moves to increase the hours that GPs surgeries
are open will improve the access for patients to consult with you?
|
|
Total |
|
|
Q3. |
N |
% |
|
Yes |
50 |
10% |
|
No |
384 |
76% |
|
Unsure |
47 |
9% |
|
Other, please specify |
22 |
4% |
|
Base |
503 |
|
|
|
|
|
Q3. Other, please specify
- Verbatim Responses |
|
|
Already open till 8.30 twice
per week |
|
|
Better for worried well, worse for the sick |
|
|
Depends on the population you
are serving |
|
|
Depends on the practice |
|
|
Deteriorate |
|
|
If work away but at the expense
of the old |
|
|
It will improve access for a minority |
|
|
Make it worse as most of our patients
are elderly |
|
|
Make it worse, worsen continuity |
|
|
More access for well, less for chronic
ill |
|
|
No if it's imposed I won't do it anyway |
|
|
Not particularly in rural areas - no
buses! |
|
|
Obviously, but at great personal cost to GP's |
|
|
Only for a small number |
|
|
Will
aid some and disadvantage others |
|
|
Will help expand capacity of premises |
|
|
Will worsen
access as we shall not be there |
|
|
Worsen them |
|
|
Yes but no for those who want day appointment |
|
|
Yes will improve access for the middle class |
|
|
Yes, but demand is only small |
|
|
Yes,
but with no new funding |
|
|
Base |
22 |
Q4. How do you believe that the Government moves to increase the hours that GPs
surgeries are open will affect the quality of healthcare for patients?
|
|
Total |
|
|
Q4. |
N |
% |
|
Improve in quality |
10 |
2% |
|
No change |
146 |
29% |
|
Worsening of quality |
321 |
64% |
|
Unsure |
21 |
4% |
|
Other, please specify |
5 |
1% |
|
Base |
503 |
|
|
|
|
|
Q4. Other, please specify
- Verbatim Responses |
|
|
Better for well, worse for chronic ill |
|
|
Increase fatigue |
|
|
Will reduce continuity of care |
|
|
Will probably decrease continuity |
|
|
Worsen for certain groups of patients |
|
|
Base |
5 |
Q5. What effect, if any, do you think the polyclinics as outlined
in Lord Darzi’s plan for reorganising the NHS will have on the quality of health
care provided?
|
|
Total |
|
|
Q5.
|
N |
% |
|
Improvement in quality |
15 |
3% |
|
No change |
55 |
11% |
|
Worsening of quality |
400 |
80% |
|
Unsure |
33 |
7% |
|
Base |
503 |
|
Q7. How well do you think the nurse prescribing is working in general?
|
|
Total |
|
|
Q7.
|
N |
% |
|
Very well |
18 |
4% |
|
Well |
125 |
25% |
|
Neither well nor badly |
214 |
43% |
|
Badly |
84 |
17% |
|
Very badly |
30 |
6% |
|
Unsure |
32 |
6% |
|
Base |
503 |
|
Q8. Overall how do you feel the NHS has performed for patients over the last 10 years?
|
|
Total |
|
|
Q8.
|
N |
% |
|
Marked improvement |
38 |
8% |
|
Improved |
285 |
57% |
|
No change |
56 |
11% |
|
Deteriorated |
79 |
16% |
|
Marked deterioration |
30 |
6% |
|
Unsure |
15 |
3% |
|
Base |
503 |
|
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