Poplar Grove Practice

On this page

• Overview
• Person-centred Care
• Care provision, Integration and continuity
• Providing Information
• Listening to and involving people
• Equity in access
• Equity in experiences and outcomes
• Planning for the future

We carried out an announced assessment of one quality statement, equity of access, under the key question Responsive at Poplar Grove Practice on 9 February 2024. Overall, the practice is rated as good. Following this assessment, the key question of responsive remains rated as good. The assessment was carried to understand people’s experiences in accessing GP services. We know demand for GP appointments remains exceptionally high with more appointments being requested than ever. Data from the GP survey results indicated that people that use the service found it hard to access the practice by telephone. Patients waited for a long time, in a long telephone queue, to get through to the practice by telephone. Only 10% of the people that responded to the survey found it easier to access this practice through telephone. This is below the national average which is 50%. There was a triage process led by a GP that ensured that appointments were booked and allocated appropriately. There were processes in place to ensure that vulnerable people such as the homeless were able to access services without the need to provide proof of address. Reasonable adjustments were in place to cater for different needs such as interpreter support, wheelchair access and longer appointments for people with learning disabilities. Staff at the practice acknowledged the challenges the service faced due to the increased demand for their service. As a result of this people that use the service found it hard to access the service due to long waiting times on the telephone. Staff indicated that the challenges were mostly due to external pressures such as significant increase in the local population due to a new housing estate.

This service scored 75 (out of 100) for this area. Find out what we look at when we assess this area and How we calculate these scores.

We did not look at Person-centred Care during this assessment. The score for this quality statement is based on the previous rating for Responsive.

We did not look at Care provision, Integration and continuity during this assessment. The score for this quality statement is based on the previous rating for Responsive.

We did not look at Providing Information during this assessment. The score for this quality statement is based on the previous rating for Responsive.

We did not look at Listening to and involving people during this assessment. The score for this quality statement is based on the previous rating for Responsive.

The practice had a GP navigation triaging process in place. The process involved input from a GP and this ensured that appointments were booked and allocated appropriately. Patients were allocated named GPs to ensure continuity. Where possible patients were allocated to practitioners with the specialist knowledge and skills for their conditions. There were processes in place to ensure that vulnerable people such as the homeless were able to access services without the need to provide proof of address. At the time of the inspection staff were being sent for training to support veterans to become a veteran friendly accredited practice. The practice provided the option of home visits for housebound patients such as the elderly. Home visits were also offered to those that find it difficult to attend medical appointments such as some people with learning disabilities. The practice provided information to people that use the service in accessible format depending on the patient’s needs. For example, the practice had access to a translator service that was commissioned by the local Integrated Care Board. There was an accessibility policy for deaf patients. Information was also made available to the public through other channels such as social media accounts, newsletters and practice website.

People that use services were able to book appointments in various ways. Appointments could be booked by visiting the practice in person. Other appointments were offered via email for patients with accessibility needs. Most of the patients relied on booking their appointments through the telephone. Data from the GP survey results indicated that people that use the service found it hard to access the practice by telephone. Patients waited for a long time, in a long telephone queue, to get through to the practice by telephone. Only 10% of the people that responded to the survey found it easier to access this practice through telephone. This is below the national average which is 50%. In the GP survey results, 19% described their experience of making an appointment as good compared to the national average which was 54%. The practice was the third largest practice in the town where it is located. Due to a new housing estate nearby, Poplar Grove Practice was experiencing an increase in new patients as they were registering an average of 45 new patients per week. This has significantly increased demand for appointments at this practice.

Staff at the practice acknowledged the challenges the service faced due to the increased demand for their service. As a result of this people that use the service found it hard to access the service due to long telephone call waiting times. Staff indicated that the challenges were mostly due to external pressures such as general increase in demands for doctor’s appointments since the end of the COVID 19 pandemic. A new housing estate nearby had significantly increased the population within the practice’s catchment area. Due to the challenges, the practice was involved in initiatives to help improve access for people that use the service. The practice implemented the GP Navigation system in August 2023 to ensure appointment requests are clinically triaged. As a result of this, efficiency improved ensuring staff were able to respond sooner to other enquiries such as prescription approvals. The practice has increased the number of pre-bookable appointments and offers telephone appointments where appropriate. After the GP navigation process was introduced complaints against the practice significantly decreased. The practice had an active Patient Participation Group (PPG) group that met every month which ensured the community it served remained involved in improving the service.

We did not look at Equity in experiences and outcomes during this assessment. The score for this quality statement is based on the previous rating for Responsive.

We did not look at Planning for the future during this assessment. The score for this quality statement is based on the previous rating for Responsive.