Patient access to GP practices has been a long standing concern for residents in Hounslow for a number of years. Issues like long waiting times on the telephone to book appointments, long waits to get an appointment, quality of telephone and online consultations, and problems around the 8am rush, have been persistent challenges.
In collaboration with ICS and Hounslow Primary Care team we identified questions and developed the survey for enhanced patient access.
We visited GP practice waiting areas over an 8-week period (August/September 2023) to talk to patients and complete surveys. Healthwatch volunteers played a vital role in this outreach work.
