Dr Baxter and Partners

Updated 10 January 2024

The Dr Baxter and Partners is a NHS GP practice which provides primary care services to patients in Shefford, Bedfordshire. The practice is rated as good overall, with all key questions rated as good, apart from the responsive key question, which is rated as requires improvement. We carried out an announced assessment of equity of access on 10 January 2024. We found that the practice had organised services to meet patients’ needs, particularly those who were most likely to have difficulty accessing care. The practice used feedback and other information to monitor and improve access. The practice had taken action to improve access, particularly to how easy it was for patients to contact the practice, but this was not yet reflected consistently in the GP patient survey data or in other sources of patient feedback.

Updated 10 January 2024

In the 2023 National GP Patient Survey, the practice’s data for access was mixed. - Patient satisfaction with their GP practice appointment times and satisfaction with the appointment offered were in line with average. - Patient satisfaction with getting through to the practice by phone and with the overall experience of making an appointment were below average. Patient feedback gathered by the practice was more positive, including feedback gathered after some recent improvements, but this cannot be compared directly to the National GP Patient Survey. We had feedback from 4 patients who made negative comments about the service, including about the time to get through by phone. We recognise the pressure that practices are currently working under, and the efforts staff are making to maintain levels of access for their patients. At the same time, our strategy makes a commitment to deliver regulation driven by people’s needs and experiences of care. Although we saw the practice was attempting to improve access, this was not yet reflected in the GP patient survey data or other sources of patient feedback.