Amersham Vale 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, on 1 March 2024. We found that the practice recognised and organised services to support patients' needs. Services were designed to make them accessible to people who were most likely to experience difficulty accessing care. The provider monitored data and information to make changes to improve access for patients. GP patient survey data from 2023 showed that patients were not always satisfied with the appointment types offered. Satisfaction with the practice’s appointment times and the overall experience of making an appointment was also below national averages. However, the response to access via telephone showed higher than average levels of satisfaction. The provider had taken steps to improve access. Whilst improvements had been reflected in feedback about telephone access, these were not yet seen in patient feedback about the appointments offered, appointment times and overall experience of making an appointment.

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.

Patients could access appointments via the telephone, online or in person. There was a duty system open from 8am-6pm; a patient calling before 5pm with an urgent request would receive an appointment on the same day. The practice was open from 8am to 6.30pm Monday to Friday. Extended access appointments were available from 4pm to 8pm Monday to Friday and from 9am to 5pm on Saturday. There were dedicated phone lines for certain groups of patients, including those receiving palliative care and children. This system made it easier for vulnerable patients to access appointments. Translation services were available for patients who did not speak English as a first language.

The provider shared examples of how access was monitored via provider-led audits on the GP patient survey and telephone data. Action plans were produced and implemented as a result of these audits. For example, as patients showed some dissatisfaction with the appointments offered, the provider decided to schedule a PPG meeting where patients would have the opportunity to meet staff working in various clinical roles and learn what these roles entailed. Telephone data was discussed in team meetings. The practice had recruited additional staff to answer the telephones and used live data to allocate more staff to answer the telephones during busy periods. The practice was awarded a gold pride in practice award for excellence in gay, bisexual and transgender healthcare. The provider had completed a research project with the aim of improving healthcare for transgender patients. Recommendations included support for staff to engage confidently with transgender patients and review of prescribing policies. There was a section on the practice website for transgender patients with information on changing name and gender as well as details of local support organisations. There was a hotel local to the practice where asylum seekers were housed. The provider worked with staff at the hotel to ensure these patients could access care and register with the practice. The provider was involved in an outreach service for homeless people. This was a walk-in service where homeless people could access care and could also choose to register with the practice.

The national GP patient survey showed that since 2021, patient satisfaction with telephone access had improved, but had decreased for the 3 remaining indicators, including indicators about the experience of making, type and timing of an appointment. There were 5 reviews on the NHS website, 2 of these were positive about the service, 3 reviews were negative. Positive comments referred to an excellent service, negative comments referred to difficulty accessing appointments. Feedback from patient interviews was positive, particularly relating to improvements in the practice’s telephone system (the current telephone system was introduced in May 2021).

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.