Making GP appointments more accessible in Harrogate
People have told Healthwatch that care does not always meet their needs, especially when they need extra support. What often makes the biggest difference is whether care adapts to the person in front of them, rather than expecting everyone to access it in the same way.
In our report, Making health appointments work for everyone, people have told us about challenges to access care, including hospitals, dentists and GP practices.
People describe finding it difficult to get through, not always seeing someone who understands their situation, and having to repeat the same information. Some also face additional barriers, such as not having a fixed address or needing support with communication.
This is where changes like the example below have made a difference.
What’s happening at Spa Surgery
Spa Surgery has taken steps to provide more consistent and joined up support for people who may need extra help to access care.
The practice has developed a more structured approach to supporting people with a range of needs, including those with learning disabilities, serious mental illness, and people in more complex or unstable situations, such as those experiencing homelessness.
The aim is to make sure support is built into how the practice works day to day, rather than relying on needs being picked up as issues arise.
This is what reasonable adjustments look like in practice. They are small, practical changes that help people access care in a way that works for them, and under the law, health services are expected to make them where needed.
What this looks like in practice
The practice has put several things in place to make access easier and more consistent.
This includes making sure people know who their usual GP is, helping build familiarity and trust, setting aside time for home visits and support for care homes, offering dedicated appointments for people who may need more time or support, and providing flexible options, including seeing people at home where needed.
There is also a focus on reaching people who may not access care in the usual way.
For example, the practice runs a drop-in health service for people experiencing homelessness, bringing care to people rather than expecting them to come to practice. This helps remove some of the practical barriers that can prevent people from accessing care in the first place, such as rurality and homelessness.
Making it easier to get in touch
Healthwatch has heard how difficult it can be for some people to get through by phone or use online tools to manage their care or book appointments.
To help with this, the practice has a priority phone list for people who may need quicker or easier access, options to order medication by phone for those who cannot use online tools or apps, and support sessions to help people learn how to use digital tools like the NHS App.
They also adjust appointments and the environment where needed, such as offering quieter spaces or more flexible timings.
Simple changes like allowing more time, offering a quieter space, or arranging communication in a way that works for someone can make it much easier to access care and feel understood.
Support beyond the GP
The practice also offers access to other types of support, recognising that people’s needs are not always just medical.
This includes a social prescriber, who can help with things like housing, finances or loneliness, and mental health practitioners working within the practice.
For some people, this can make it easier to talk about what is really going on, rather than trying to fit everything into a short GP appointment.
It also means people can be supported with the wider factors affecting their health, not just the immediate symptoms they come in with.
Bringing this support into the practice helps create a more joined up approach, where people do not have to navigate different parts of care on their own or repeat their situation to multiple people.
What difference this is making
For people, this kind of approach can make a real difference to how care feels.
It can make it easier to get through to someone, and to see someone who understands your situation. It can also reduce the need to keep repeating the same information.
For those in more vulnerable situations, it can be the difference between accessing care and missing out altogether.
Why this matters
Across North Yorkshire, people have told us that GP practice care does not always work for them, especially when they need extra support.
Taken together, these experiences can make care harder to access and more frustrating than it needs to be.
This example shows how one practice is responding to wider issues people have raised, rather than highlighting concerns about this specific surgery.
This article is based on information shared by Spa Surgery in Harrogate about how they are improving support for people who need reasonable adjustments.
