CardiovascularDespite Positive Response, GP Practices Face 'devastating' Cuts In Funding As A Result Of Patient Access Survey, Says BMA Scotland
Commenting on the publication of the results of a national patient access survey BMA Scotland said it was pleased that most patients are happy with access to their GP practice but warned that many practices face significant cuts in funding because of the survey methodology.
The survey results found a particularly high level of satisfaction with access to appointments within 48 hours (90%), the current Government target. Three-quarters of patients were able to make pre-bookable appointments three or more days in advance.
Dr Dean Marshall, Chairman of the BMA"s Scottish General Practitioners Committee, said:
"We are pleased that most patients are satisfied with the service they receive, but unfortunately this new survey has failed to get enough patients to respond to it which has resulted in extremely small numbers of patient responses having devastating effects on some practices.
"The Government"s 48 hour access target means that practices have to balance the number of appointments available for advance booking whilst ensuring they can offer same-day and emergency appointments. This means that sometimes patients find it difficult to book a routine appointment with their GP in advance at a time to suit them.
"Where practices may be struggling to meet the demands of their patients, they should be supported to improve access, rather than having their funding cut which will make things even more difficult."
For example, one practice in Lanarkshire stands to lose nearly than ÷£16,000 because of the views of only 0.28% of patients of the practice (51 patients from a practice list of 18,000 patients). The practice offers a mix of same-day and advance booked appointments which are consistently filled by patients.
Another practice in Ayrshire & Arran has lost funding of around ÷£8,000 despite offering advance access and pre-bookable appointments as well as offering extended hours appointments throughout the week.
A practice in Forth Valley will lose more than ÷£5,500 despite having repeatedly scored near perfect results in previous practice based patient satisfaction surveys. The practice offers same day appointments and their waiting time for routine appointments is less than 48 hours.
Dr Marshall added:
"As we warned, this new survey, rather than acting as an incentive to improve access for patients, may well result in a lessening of services available to patients.
"It is ironic that practices such as those outlined above stand to lose such significant amounts of funding, particularly when such large sums would pay for staff and services to facilitate improved access. It is likely that these practices will struggle even more next year to improve access when they are having the res required to do so taken away from them.
"This is another example of the need for the Scottish Government to work with the profession to develop policies that are practical, implementable and importantly, that deliver real improvements to patients."
Link to survey results.
Link to survey.
The British Medical Association