GP Patient Survey
The GP Patient Survey was introduced under the GMS Contract Agreement by the Department of Health as part of the Government’s commitment to making the Health Service more responsive to patients’ needs.
The survey was developed in collaboration with 4 UK Health departments, BMA General Practitioners Committee (GPC) and NHS Employers organisation. The GP Patient Survey was first run in England in 2006/07, and was introduced in Northern Ireland under the GMS contract for 2008/09.
The GP Patient Survey in Northern Ireland measures how well GP surgeries are meeting the standards agreed between DHSSPS and the Health and Social Care Board on patient access to care, consultations with healthcare professionals, the surgery environment and whether patients are satisfied with the outcome of their treatment.
The findings of the survey allow the Health and Social Care Board to reward the good service provided by the majority of practices by measuring performance against these standards, as well as providing valuable information about how patients feel about local health services.
The results of the survey are used to evaluate practices achievement in the QOF Patient Experience Domain. The Patient Experience indicators PE07 and PE08 are designed to ensure people are able to book an appointment with a doctor as quickly and as easily as possible. These indicators aim to reward good GP access based on percentage of patients reporting satisfaction through the survey of national access standards on:
- consulting a GP within 2 working days
- booking ahead for non-urgent appointments
The GP Patients Survey is administered by survey specialists Ipsos MORI, on behalf of the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety (DHSSPS).
Further information is available on the survey website http://www.gp-patient.hscni.net/info/