People confident GPs take their comments and concerns seriously
PEOPLE are confident that GPs take their comments and concerns seriously, yet three out of four (76%) have never given feedback, most commonly because they don’t know how to.
A new online poll suggests those looking to share views with their doctor prefer comment boxes and text messages to social media.
New research by health and care champion Healthwatch adds to a growing evidence base that people recognise the pressures the NHS is under and want to help make it better by sharing their feedback.
The key to turning the public’s willingness to provide feedback into useful insight is to keep it simple.
According to polling carried out by YouGov for Healthwatch, 76% of adults in England would be interested in sharing their feedback with GPs to improve services but only 23% said that they had actually provided feedback.
The most common reason given was that patients are unsure how to provide comments and raise concerns (37%).
Of those who had provided feedback to their doctor, the most popular option was the traditional comments box (44%).
Interestingly social media channels such as Twitter and Facebook were the least popular forum, with just 3% of those who had provided feedback choosing to do so via social media.
Frontline
As part of the #ItStartsWithYou campaign, Healthwatch Wokingham is calling on GP practices, as the frontline of the health service, to send a strong cultural signal to patients that the NHS is open and interested in listening to their views.
Healthwatch is encouraging GPs and other primary care staff to share their own stories – with us and with each other – to tell us how patient feedback has helped them to learn and improve the way they provide care.
Up and down the country it is clear that people value their local doctors’ surgeries and can see the pressure they are under.
It is also clear they want to do their bit to help by sharing their experiences.
People tell us they want providing feedback to be simple, clear and confidential.
Healthwatch is here to help busy surgeries not only improve how they seek feedback but also help GPs and practices managers explain how this insight is being used to give people the care they want.
* Poll was conducted by YouGov on behalf of Healthwatch England. The total sample size for survey was 1,808 adults weighted and representative of all English adults (aged 18+). Fieldwork was undertaken between 20th – 21st June 2017.