Patient Participation Group - Summary of Patient Survey Results – April 2024

Following the patient survey, the Whitstable Medical Practice’s  Patient and Public Participation Group (PPG) answer some of the questions people have been asking about the Practice

Whitstable Medical Practice has been given the thumbs up from local people. According to the latest annual patient survey, almost 90 per cent of people who responded agreed or strongly agreed that their experience of the Practice is positive.

The quality of care provided was also seen as overwhelmingly positive. While most people who replied to the survey agreed that they found the patient co-ordinators helpful, around 20 per cent said they didn’t find it easy to get through on the phone and about 12 per cent were not confident that they could get an appointment when they thought they needed it.

But the survey also shows that some people are still not sure about the different ways to contact the Practice and get appointments with the right professional, whether that’s a GP, a nurse or a physiotherapist, for example.

 

How do I book an appointment at Whitstable Medical Practice?

  • By phone – 01227 284300 you can request a call back if you need to. If you call the Practice but find you are in a queue to speak to someone, there is an option to ask for a call-back. Clear instructions are given as how to do this. Lines are open all day.
  • All administrative teams support the reception teams in answering the phones for the first 30 minutes of the day to improve access for patients.
  • On-line – using the form on the Practice website.
  • Some appointments are also available to be booked through the Patient Access or NHS Apps
 

GP Surgery Statistics

  • In 2023 Whitstable Medical Practice offered 162,305 GP appointments. Of these, 151,196 were booked. 
  • There were more appointments on offer than in 2022 (140,357) and 2021 (137,986).
  • But too many people are still booking appointments and not turning up. In 2023, 1,142 appointments were lost for this reason. If you can’t make it to an appointment, it’s important to let the Practice know, so the time can be used for someone else.
  • Also in 2023, 9,468 patients cancelled GP appointments. Of course, there is often a good reason for needing to cancel but wherever possible, please let the Practice know in good time. 
  • Across WMP, between March 2023 and March 2024, there were nearly half a million (487,934) appointments. Of these, 79 per cent were face to face and 19 per cent were by phone. That’s more face-to-face appointments than the national average for GP Practices.
 

Further Information

Why can’t I just see my GP?

General Practice and the way care is delivered has changed.  The Practice employs many allied healthcare professionals who support GPs.  They often are able to see or speak to the patients much quicker and offer care which is specialist to their field. The Practice currently employs clinical pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, advance clinical practitioners and paramedics, first contact physiotherapists, podiatrist, frailty practitioners, social prescribers, mental health practitioners and other professionals.

Why do I have to fill in a form on-line?

By suggesting that patients either call or fill out an online consultation first, the Practice can manage the time and resources better. This means that those with the most urgent needs get seen in a timely fashion. It also means that for routine problems, tests or investigations and even referrals can be made prior to seeing the patient, so that the clinicians can deal with as much as possible in a single appointment.

What if I’m told I’ll get a telephone appointment?

A phone appointment is designed to make sure that relevant investigations – a blood test, for example - can be arranged and undertaken and results back before a to face-to-face appointment.

What are patient co-ordinators?

  • The Practice’s patient co-ordinators got a positive response in the survey, but not everyone knows how they can help. Patient co-ordinators are the link between patients and the Practice’s services.
  • They have been trained to ask more questions, listen to the patients and decide together who best can deal with the problem, and whether it is a routine issue, or needs more urgent attention. All information is treated with the strictest confidentiality.
  • Patient co-ordinators can also arrange appointments at the ‘same day hub’ – a service where people can be seen if they have a new condition they are concerned about. There are around 64 appointments every day at the hub Monday to Friday.
 

Contacting Whitstable Medical Practice

Please use our Contact form below for non-clinical administrative queries.

 CONTACT US 

Whitstable Medical Practice Patient Participation Group

This group aims to:

  • Help patients feel more involved in their healthcare and to demonstrate the Practice's commitment to its patients.
  • Help build good working relationships between the Practice’s patients and staff.
  • We also run events to promote good healthcare in the community, such as offering blood pressure checks in and around Whitstable.

New members are always welcome and can sign up using the link below.

 PPG SIGNUP FORM

PPG HOME