Same-day appointments 'lower' patient satisfaction

healthcarerepublic.com,
27 August 2008, 00:29am

Access targets for same-day appointments may actually lower patient satisfaction, according to research.

A study in this week’s BJGP found that increasing the number of same-day appointments by 10 per cent actually lowered the number of satisfied patients by 8 per cent.

Researchers from the University of Bristol said practices should be wary when increasing the number of same-day appointments to meet access targets.

The team surveyed 12,825 patients from 47 practices in England in response the government’s drive to improve access for patients booking on the day.

British Journal of General Practice 2008; 58: 641–643.

tom.ireland@haymarket.com

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Tags: PRACTICE STAFF, NURSE, GP, PHARMACIST

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All Comments

Ingrid Collins - 27 August 2008

Dissatisfaction due to standard of treatment that cannot be blurred with effect of delay in time waiting to be seen? Familiarity breeds contempt? What is going on? I hope this research isn't going to be used to provide a less responsive service. The remedy is simple: Just give excellent service and give no cause for complaint!

Jonathan Harte - 27 August 2008

I'm not surprised by this. Being Offered same day appointments is usually offset by not being able to see the doctor (or nurse) of choice. Whilst the general population want rapid access to healthcare services, the "patient" wants to see the GP they know and trust. Not being able to do that (and it's impossible for all patients to see their GP anytime they want) will risk lowering satisfaction.

John Alan Glasspool - 27 August 2008

What a surprise! The public are never going to be satisfied. I, for one, will be fascinated to see the results of the next patient survey after practices have been doing extended hours. I bet the degree of satisfaction will be no better, or worse, than now.

Kathleen Howlett - 27 August 2008

I wonder if a survey has been carried out to see how many times (days) a patient has to ring in order to be given an appointment? "Same day" means "first come, first served" and the rest are told to ring again the next day! I can understand their frustration.

susan smith - 28 August 2008

Unfortunately you will get some patients going to the doctors every time they get the slightest ailment that will clear up on its own after a couple of days. If their appointments were made available to the acute and chronic patients no one would have a problem getting an appointment and that's not taking in account of the patients who do not turn up for their appointments. We all need to take stock and think first before we go attacking GP surgeries.