Improving your access to GP Services 

We are working with local gp practices to make it easier for you to access the care you need, when you need it - and from the right professional.

This may not always be a gp, but the right person for your needs.

What We've Done So Far 

We have introduced a number of changes over the past few years to help with access including:

• Employed different clinicians as part of the practice team including Clinical Pharmacists, Social Prescribers and First Contact Physiotherapist for example
• Provided more appointments
• Cloud-based telephone system for better call handling 
• Online consultations, giving you another way to contact us 

What We're Doing in 2025/26 

• Easier Contact by Phone 
  • Call-back option available, no need to wait on hold 
  • We aim to answer calls within 10 minutes
• We are working together across practices and primary care organisations to provide additional appointments.
• We will also be focusing on the areas highlighted in the boxes below:

Online Consultation

• Available Monday to Friday, 8am-6.30pm (excluding bank holidays) 
• Clinical queries: response by end of next working day 
• Non-clinical queries: response within 3 working days 

Care Navigation

• Our team will guide you to the right support - whether by phone, in person, or online 
• This may include booking an appointment with a GP, a member of our practice team, or signposting to services such as Community Pharmacy 

Improving Your Access to GP Services 

Sign Up for the NHS App 

• The NHS App helps you to: 
• Help you manage your appointments 
• Order repeat prescriptions 
• View parts of your GP health record 
• Access trusted health information 

If you're aged 13 or over, speak to our reception team, join one of our digital support workshops or  click on the link to get started : Sign up to the NHS APP

Continuity of Care for Complex Needs

• We listened to your feedback: continuity matters 
• Some of our patients with complex health needs will get a named care team - These patients will be informed of their team 
• Reviewing our appointments to ensure patients are seeing the right clinician at the right time

We Want to Hear From You!

In 2024, we:

• Ran a patient survey to gain your thoughts on access to GP services 
• Held local face-to-face engagement events and a borough wide webinar 

For 2025/26, we will: 

• Develop a new patient survey with your help through the Patient Participation Group (PPG)
• Share the survey widely
• Host another open engagement session – all welcome!

What we're committed to

We're committed to improving with your help. We'll continue to involve you through: 

• Patient Participation Group (PPG)  meetings 
• Feedback via our practice website 
• Local health engagement events

Thank you for helping us shape better GP services for our community. 

Published: Jul 11, 2025