Improving access to GP services

• Abstract
• Characteristics of this policy
• Purpose and process analysis
• Expected outcome
• References

Abstract

The Government has for many years intended to improve patient access to General Practitioners (GPs). In November 2006 it initiated the 'GP Patient Survey', which will be sent to 5 million patients to obtain views on how easy it is for patients to access their GPs. The questions will cover such issues as whether patients can book an appointment with their GP within 2 days, whether it is possible to book ahead for an appointment, and whether patients are satisfied with GP opening hours.

Neue Entwicklungen

Over recent years, one of the Government's stated health policy intentions has been to improve access to GPs. To this end, in November 2006, the Government launched the 'GP Patient Survey', which will be randomly sent to five million NHS patients in January 2007 to obtain their views on how easy it is for them to gain access to their GPs. Completion of the form will be strictly voluntary.

Innovationsgrad	traditionell		innovativ
Kontroversität	unumstritten		kontrovers
Strukturelle Wirkung	marginal		fundamental
Medienpräsenz	sehr gering		sehr hoch
Übertragbarkeit	sehr systemabhängig		systemneutral
current    previous

Purpose and process analysis

Current Process Stages

	Idee	Pilotprojekt	Strategiepapier	Gesetzgebung	Umsetzung	Evaluation	Veränderung/Richtungswechsel
Implemented in this survey?

Initiators of idea/main actors

• Regierung

Stakeholder positions

The Government is of course very supportive of trying to improve access to GPs, otherwise they would not have introduced this as a policy direction. Access to GP services has been problematic for a number of years, particularly with respect to many people not being able to book an appointment with their GP within a reasonable time frame and/or at a time that they want an appointment. To its credit, the Government is at least attempting to improve access, which is supported by patients and the public at large - e.g. through prior Government consultation exercises, the general public has indicated that improving access to GPs ought to be one of the Government's highest health policy priorities.  

GPs themselves probably have mixed feelings about the Government's direction. It is likely that some GPs will not be particularly enthused about extending their opening hours to the evenings and weekends, and ensuring that all patients are seen within a reasonable time frame and at a time that the patient would like clearly adds pressure to the system. However, GPs have been heavily rewarded through the GP contract, and can earn performance payments by scoring well on access, and therefore, on balance, I would imagine that most GPs are reasonably supportive of the Government's direction in this regard.   

Actors and positions

Regierung
Government	sehr unterstützend		stark dagegen
GPs	sehr unterstützend		stark dagegen
Patients	sehr unterstützend		stark dagegen
current    previous

Influences in policy making and legislation

This policy direction does not depend on on new legislation.

Legislative outcome

Enactment

Actors and influence

Regierung
Government	sehr groß		kein
GPs	sehr groß		kein
Patients	sehr groß		kein
current    previous

Positions and Influences at a glance

Adoption and implementation

As indicated above, the main actors are the Government, the GPs, patients and the broader public. All seem to be roughly in support of improving access to GP services, albeit perhaps for different reasons (e.g. patients and the public because they want a more responsive primary health care service, and the GPs due at least in part to the financial rewards that accompany improved access).

Monitoring and evaluation

The results of the GP Patient Survey will not be made available until May 2007, with the intention of rewarding good performing GPs in the first quarter of the 2007/08 financial year. However, a similar, smaller scale survey did report some results in January 2007. From a survey of 10,000 patients, it was found that:  

1. 88% of patients get to see their GP within two working days.  

2. 41% of patients get to see their GP on the same day that they contacted their GP, up from 27% in 2003.  

3. 77% of patients said that they are seen by their GP as soon as they thought was necessary.  

4. 70% of patients said that they can make a GP appointment three or more working days in advance.  

5. 97% of patients said that they are given enough time to discuss their problem with their doctor.  

6. 99% of patients described their GP surgery as clean.  

7. But only 26% of patients said that the were seen on or within their appointed time.

Expected outcome

It is too early to tell, as the results of the GP Patient Survey will not be published until May 2007. However, I would expect that the results will not be too dissimilar to those reported from the smaller January 2007 survey, the results of which are outlined above.

Too early to tell, but I think it is likely that the GPs will respond to the financial incentives to improve access, at least in the short run.

References

Sources of Information

www.gnn.gov.uk/environment/fullDetail.asp?ReleaseID=245548&NewsAreaID=2&NavigatedFromDepartment=False

www.gnn.gov.uk/environment/fullDetail.asp?ReleaseID=261640&NewsAreaID=2&NavigatedFromDepartment=False

www.gnn.gov.uk/environment/fullDetail.asp?ReleaseID=260003&NewsAreaID=2&NavigatedFromDepartment=False

Reform formerly reported in

Updating the GP contract Process Stages: Umsetzung, Evaluation

The new GP contract Process Stages: Umsetzung, Strategiepapier, Gesetzgebung, Idee

Author/s and/or contributors to this survey

Adam Oliver

Empfohlene Zitierweise für diesen Online-Artikel:

Adam Oliver. "Improving access to GP services". Health Policy Monitor, April 2007. Available at http://www.hpm.org/survey/gb/a9/5