Enter & View: Enter & View: Sandy Lane and St Peter’s
Overall feedback was positive. Patients described staff as caring, respectful, and professional, and most people were happy with the care they received. However, the biggest issue raised was difficulty getting appointments, particularly at Sandy Lane Surgery. Patients reported long waits on the phone, problems booking in advance, and online systems not working consistently.
About the Report
Key Findings
- Patients rated both practices positively overall, with strong relationships between staff and patients.
- Appointment access was the main concern, especially long phone waits and limited advance booking.
- Sandy Lane patients were more likely to report needing to attend in person to secure appointments.
- Communication from staff was generally viewed positively, particularly around text updates and staff listening to patients.
- Some patients reported issues with online systems and inconsistent staff experiences.
Recommendations
- Improve management of the phone booking system at Sandy Lane Surgery to reduce the need for in person booking.
- Improve accessibility and reliability of online systems, including SYSTM-ONE and the NHS App, for booking appointments and managing care.
- Offer more routine appointments that can be booked in advance to reduce pressure on patients and staff.
'We are currently recruiting for two receptionists at Sandy Lane Surgery and one for St Peters. This will help as we will have more staff on the telephone whilst patients are also coming in the surgery to book appointments during the day.
We have spoken to our telephone provider who are working with us to try and improve the call back service. With our current phone system, staff at both practices can answer the phone for both surgeries. If one surgery is receiving a higher number of phone calls, reception staff at the other practice can answer the phone to help alleviate the volume of calls.
We have also purchased a self-check-in screen for patients. This has already reduced the queue in reception.
Our patient group are currently working on creating a poster which will advise patients how they can access online systems either by using our website www.sandylane surgery.co.uk or using SystmOnline or the NHS app. We have the digital support hub who come to the surgery every year to help patients access online services and how to use the NHS app.
Pre-bookable appointments are available to book via SystmOnline. Routine appointments are available if the patient requests it. We do offer a triage system in which the receptionist will ask the patient which clinician is best suited for their needs. Patients are able to book and cancel appointments, order repeat prescriptions and update their details via our website by completing an online form.
St Peters is our branch surgery and so we currently have two locums who work at the practice. Due to this we only offer on the day appointments for these clinics. We are currently working to amend their rota so we can offer online appointments. Patients can also pre book appointments if needed.
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