Tell us about your experience of your GP practice

Healthwatch North Yorkshire is gathering feedback from people across the county to better understand what it's like to contact and use GP practices. We want to know what's working well, what could be improved, and whether people are able to get the help they need.

Whether your experience has been positive, frustrating or somewhere in between, your feedback will help us identify common themes and share what people are experiencing with NHS organisations and GP practices across North Yorkshire.

Take part in the survey

Why are we asking?

GP practices are often the first point of contact for healthcare, but we know that accessing help isn't always straightforward. People contact their practice in different ways, including by phone, online, in person and through the NHS App. Everyone's experience is different, and we want to understand what works well and where improvements could be made.

We're particularly interested in hearing about:

• How easy it is to contact your GP practice.
• Any barriers you've faced when trying to get help.
• Whether information about appointments, prescriptions, test results or referrals is clear.
• How well your GP practice communicates with you.
• What could make accessing your GP practice easier.

Building on what we've already heard

Every year, GP practices invite patients to take part in the GP Patient Survey, an independent survey commissioned by the NHS. The survey asks millions of people across the country about their experiences of GP practices, including making appointments, contacting their practice and the care they receive. Earlier this year, we looked at the latest results for North Yorkshire, which highlighted both positive experiences and ongoing challenges around access, communication and continuity of care.

We've also carried out our own research into people's experiences of accessing healthcare. Earlier this year, more than 200 people shared their experiences as part of our Making health appointments work for everyone project, which explored whether people receive the reasonable adjustments and communication they need to access healthcare. The report found that many people were not routinely asked if they needed support, while others said their needs were not always recorded or acted upon.

This new survey builds on both pieces of work by focusing specifically on people's day-to-day experiences of contacting and using GP practices across the county. We want to understand what's working well, the barriers people face, how practices communicate with patients, and what practical improvements would make the biggest difference.

Helping people get the most out of their GP practice

Alongside this survey, we're promoting our Getting the most out of your GP practice guide.

We developed the guide after hearing from local people who told us they found it difficult to understand how GP practices work, book appointments and get the right help. Many people also said communication wasn't always clear and they weren't sure who they should see or what would happen next. 

Produced with Healthwatch volunteers, GPs, GP practice managers and other healthcare professionals, the guide explains how GP practices work and answers some of the questions people ask us most often. It includes information on:

• booking appointments
• when to see a GP or another healthcare professional
• your rights as a patient
• repeat prescriptions and other common queries
• giving feedback or raising concerns
• getting extra support if you have additional needs. 

We hope the guide will help people feel more confident about accessing their GP practice and getting the right help. If you haven't already seen it, we'd encourage you to take a look before or after completing this survey.