General Practice Access Short Life Working Group: access principles

10. Appendix 2 - Output from the workshop

i. What does good approachable access to care look like? How do I perceive approachable access to care?

• Convenient/ Easy
• Maximising the use of technology, digital, virtual, social media, text, Near Me (while aware of digital exclusion)
• Information easily available e.g., practice websites (health literacy)
• Patient choice e.g., digital v traditional (multiple methods)
• Patients have knowledge/ information of options and how to access them
• Approachable
• Improved perception, improved relationships, increased trust, improved communication, increased confidence
• Meet unmet need (want v need)
• Manage demand and capacity
• Sensitive
• Care Navigation
• Timely/ responsive
• Appropriate/ correct care
• Manage patients expectations/ increase patient satisfaction
• Self-Management
• Fair for all/ Equitable
• Reduce variation
• 24/7
• Practice culture of saying yes not no
• Clear principles and standards for good access
• Value team, including the role of the receptionist

ii. What does acceptable access look like? How do I seek & access the care I need?

• I can get through on the telephone
• Multi-channel access
• Care Navigation
• Consistent offer/ choice
• Flexible
• Alternatives available
• MDT (understanding of, does not always need to be a GP)
• Equitable
• NHS Inform (content still very GP focussed)
• Satisfied with service
• Understandable
• Trust in the service
• Expectations
• Whole system
• Ease of registering with a practice

iii. What does availability of access to care look like? How do I successfully reach the care I need?

• Wellbeing of staff
• Care Navigation
• Less complaints
• Meeting need
• Appropriate care
• Continuity of Care
• LTC management
• Urgent/ routine care
• Role of reception staff
• Expectations
• Preventative and initiative-taking
• General Practice is open
• Role and understanding of MDT
• Clear Pathways
• Services local/ close to home
• Timely

iv. What does realistically deliverable care look like? What personal ‘cost’ can there be for me to access care?

• Education/ Knowledge/ information
• Some variation OK
• Effective
• Minimal harm
• Understand demand v need
• Honest
• One medical record
• Perceptions
• Professionalism and integrity
• Timely
• Receptionist role
• Transparent
• Digital
• Initiative-taking and Preventative
• Trusted
• Demographics
• Emotional cost, anxious
• Financial cost, telephone, travel, work

v. What does inappropriate access to care look like? How do I put the right support around me to better my health and utilisation in accessing the appropriate care?

• Knowing what patients want
• Wrong part of system
• Gaming the system
• OOHs / NHS24
• Shouting the loudest
• Lack of access to other services
• Service not convenient e.g., phoning at inconvenient time
• Mandating they must use a service e.g., DACs
• Multiple channels – confusing
• Preventative
• Social factors
• Responsibility for own health