The Department of Health and Social Care has carried out a substantial survey, coordinated by Ipsos MORI, giving patients the opportunity to comment on the services provided by their GP and their overall satisfaction with their GP practice.

The results were extremely positive, showing that 92% of patients who responded were happy with the overall experience at their GP practice. In four of the Island’s GP practices, over 95% of respondents were happy with the overall experience at their GP Practice. A similar survey carried out in England this year showed that 88% were happy with their GP practice.

The survey looked at areas such as making appointments, GP care, nursing care, overall satisfaction with the GP practice, and whether a patient would recommend their practice to friends and family.

Minister for Health and Social Care, Howard Quayle MHK said: “The Department constantly seeks feedback across the wide variety of services it provides. Surveys such as this are instrumental in improving quality, enhancing efficiency and developing services. To provide good quality health services for the people of the Isle of Man it is important that we take the time to listen to patients and act on their feedback.

“It is heartening to know, through these positive survey results, that overall our Island’s GP practices compare favourably with those in England.”

Both in the Isle of Man and in England, 94% of respondents felt they obtained a convenient appointment time. The comprehensive range of services delivered by the Island’s GP practices, together with emergency out-of-hours cover, and the services available at the minor illness and injury unit at Ramsey and District Cottage Hospital, contribute to the level of satisfaction felt by patients surveyed on the Island.

The survey showed that a quarter of patients would like to book appointments online. Patient online services through EMIS Patient Access were recently introduced, with so far 1.5% of patients registered. Patients are reminded that they are able to register for this service by attending their GP surgery with two forms of identification (driving licence or passport and a proof of address such as a utility bill).

An ongoing survey about what GP practices are doing well and suggestions of how they can improve can be quickly completed online. Results are passed back to the GP practice for the management team to review so that improvements can be made where necessary.