Press Release: Longer waits to see GP in Brighton and Hove (30/05/2019)

News - 2 July 2019

Early findings from Healthwatch Brighton and Hove’s 2019 GP Patient survey indicate longer waits to get a GP appointment.
GP Stethoscope, Left on top lined paper, close up view

450 responses to date illustrate:

  • Fewer people getting a routine appointment within three days (39% compared to 51% in 2017)
  • Fewer people getting an appointment the same day for an urgent problem (67% compared to 86% in 2017)

Declining numbers of patients per GP in Brighton and Hove

Declining numbers of GPs and increasing numbers of patients in the city have meant increasing patients per GP, currently at 2,495 patients per GP. 

Brighton and Hove has 40% more patients per GP than for England as a whole.

People seem to be waiting longer to get a consultation with a GP in Brighton and Hove and this is despite more people being offered phone consultations. We also know that GP numbers in the City are slowly declining and the local population is slowly rising. It seems like the drift is in the wrong direction.

David Liley, Healthwatch Brighton and Hove, Chief Officer

Other early findings from the survey:

Waiting to see a GP at the appointment time:

  • 84% saw GP within 20 minutes of scheduled appointment time (84% in 2017)

Overall satisfaction:

  • 83% were satisfied with GP service (83% 2017)
  • 89% would recommend GP practice to a friend/family member (86% 2017)

 Practice closure/merger

We asked people who had been affected by a GP Practice closure, merger or other change if they found their new surgery convenient:

  • 50% said ‘yes’ the new practice was convenient for them with 25% saying it was OK.

 Opening hours

Satisfaction with hours when people could access a GP

  • 76% were happy with the hours a GP was available (72% 2017).
  • Extended hours - 16% of people surveyed had used the Extended hours GP service and 72% of users were satisfied with the service.

Mental health

Healthwatch asked about GP practices (doctors and nurses) responses to enquires at consultations about mental health or emotional wellbeing:

  • 33% of people surveyed had raised this kind of issue at a consultation.
  • 81% were satisfied with the response they received from the health professional.

“This was the first time we had asked about mental and emotional health in Primary Care. A third of people said they had raised this kind of issue with a doctor or nurse showing just how much people rely on their local GP as their first port of call for support on this type of health issue.”

Dr Roland Marden the Healthwatch Brighton and Hove Insight and Evidence Manager

Still plenty of time to complete the survey and share your experience at your surgery.Take the survey

For interviews or further comment please contact:

David Liley
Healthwatch Brighton and Hove Chief Officer

david@healthwatchbrightonandhove.co.uk

07931 755 343