Dear Patients, please see below a list of areas that we are working on to improve your access to care:
- Improved Access to Telephone Lines
We reduced waiting times for patients contacting us by telephone by increasing staff cover during busy periods and encouraging the use of digital tools, such as the NHS App, where this was faster and easier. This helped to free up the phone lines for those who needed them most.
We will continue to build on this progress by making it easier for patients to get through to the right person at the right time. We will keep reviewing call patterns, strengthening cover during busy periods, and supporting patients to use the access route that works best for them.
- Appointments When and How Patients Needed Them
We made better use of our teams and technology to ensure same-day and routine non-urgent appointments were available when needed, offering patients a choice of telephone, face-to-face and online consultations.
We will build on this in the coming year by continuing to improve how appointments are planned and used across the Primary Care Network (PCN). Our focus will be on making best use of our clinical teams and ensuring patients are offered appointments in a way that is timely, appropriate and convenient.
- Better Use of Local Services Like Pharmacies
We worked closely with local community pharmacies to enable patients with minor illnesses to be seen more quickly, helping to free up General Practitioner (GP) appointments for those with greater clinical need.
We will continue to strengthen these relationships and make it clearer for patients when services such as Pharmacy First can provide quick and effective support. This will help patients access care sooner and allow practices to focus GP appointments on those who need them most. st.
- Support for the Most Vulnerable Patients
We continued to improve holistic care for patients with complex needs by providing access to the right clinician, offering longer appointments where appropriate, and increasing continuity of care through support from our wider multidisciplinary teams.
In the coming year, we will continue to develop this more proactive and joined-up approach. By using our clinical knowledge, practice data and wider team input, we will be better able to identify patients who may benefit from more personalised support and improved continuity of care.
- Easier Ways to access help
We encouraged the use of the NHS App and online services and provided support to patients who needed help getting started. This enabled patients to take greater control of their care.
We will continue to help patients feel more confident using digital services, while making sure that alternative routes remain available for those who need them. We will also keep improving the clarity of information available to patients, so it is easier to understand where to go and how to access the right support.
- Faster Responses to Online consultation requests
We responded to at least 95% of online consultation requests by the end of the next working day, ensuring patients received timely responses when contacting us online.
We will build on this by continuing to improve how online consultation requests are managed, so patients receive clear and timely responses. We will also keep listening to feedback from patients and staff to make sure online access works well in practice and supports safe, responsive care.
Patient Engagement and Community Outreach
We listened to patients and used feedback to understand where access could be improved, including how different groups experience primary care services.
In the coming year, we will continue to strengthen our links with patients and local communities, particularly those who may face additional barriers to accessing care. We want to use this feedback positively to shape practical improvements and make sure our services reflect the needs of the people we support.