The Lakeside Practice

Updated 12 February 2024

The Lakeside Practice is an NHS GP practice which provides primary care services to patients in the Doncaster area of South Yorkshire. We carried out an announced assessment of one quality statement, equity of access, under the key question Responsive at The Lakeside Practice on the 26 February 2024. We carried out the assessment as part of our work to understand how practices are working to try to meet peoples demands for access and to better understand the experiences of people who use services and providers. We recognise the work that GP practices have been engaged in to continue to provide safe, quality care to the people they serve. We know staff are carrying this out whilst the demand for general practice remains exceptionally high, with more appointments being provided than ever. However, in this challenging context, access to general practice remains a concern for people. Our strategy makes a commitment to deliver regulation driven by people’s needs and experiences of care. The assessment of the quality statement equity of access includes looking at what practices are doing innovatively to improve patient access to primary care and sharing this information to drive improvement. Overall, the practice is rated as good and the key question responsive continues to be rated as providing a good service. We found that the practice had organised services to meet patients’ needs, including those who were most likely to have difficulty accessing care, so that people can access care, treatment and support when they need it and in a way that works for them. The practice sought out and used feedback and other data/information to monitor and improve access.

Updated 12 February 2024

In the 2023 National GP Patient Survey, the practice’s data demonstrated responses to patient satisfaction with GP practice appointment times, how easy it is to get through to the practice by phone, satisfaction with the appointment offered, and with the overall experience of making an appointment were in line with the national and local averages. These were similar in performance to previous year’s results. Results from the NHS Friends and Family Test (FFT) were reviewed and found to be positive. For example, for four months (September to December 2023) 589 people responded to the survey with an average of 92.5% positive about the practice. This is higher than the England average of 91%. The practice undertook internal satisfaction surveys and acted on feedback, for example, a survey of cervical smear testing uptake resulted in the implementation of regular Saturday walk-in clinics, improving access for women. Other improvement initiatives include additional minor surgery and coil fitting clinics at weekends. Where any aspects of survey results were lower than expected the practice analysed these and made changes to improve. The practice had reviewed and responded to feedback and continues to make improvements. We received six patient feedback comments and identified themes of concern in respect of access. These were ease of getting through to the practice by telephone, getting a timely appointment with a preferred GP, and perceived lack of reception staff. Leaders told us about plans in place for improvement in these areas. 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. We were told and saw that the practice sought and acted on feedback relating to access.