Friends and Family Test (July) – Patient Responses

Posted by: ella.scott-simons - Posted on:

Shown are Kingfisher Practice’s results from Friends and Family Test, which we sent to all patients. The NHS Friends and Family Test (FFT) was created to help understand whether patients are happy with the service provided, or where improvements are needed. In total, we received 171 responses in July. Please see the breakdown and some of our responses below:

Very Good – 125 (73%)

Good – 43 (25%)

Neither Good nor Poor – 2 (1%)

Poor – 0

Very Poor – 1 (<1%)

Don’t know – 0

  • I have been with Maswell Park my whole life and have always been impressed with the service provided.  The gentleman Receptionist is a breath of fresh air. Very helpful, knowledgeable, professional and personable. The GPs are also extremely professional, empathetic and I feel confident that they know what they are doing.
  • I’m very happy with all the help I’m receiving from my GP Doctor Dehal. He is the only doctor I have 110% trust to and feel like he does everything in his power to help me in getting through.
  • The whole team are always caring and sympathetic to my needs

    Needed an urgent appointment which was given. Short wait on telephone. The doctor was very helpful and thorough.
  • Dr Tina has been and is so good as my doctor, showing true care and knowledge of my case and symptoms, and trying her utmost to find a suitable course of action for me and my continuing health issues. Not only when I saw her face to face was she exceptional, but also when I called to ask to speak to her about medication she rang back and took time to discuss options. I do not feel rushed or like I am unimportant when Dr Tina sees me, I feel she is trying to help and understand and find the best for me and my situation. I do not feel dismissed because the answers can’t be found.
  • The young Male Receptionist made sure I didn’t have to wait around for my Blood Test as there was an hour gap between my GP and Nurse appointment. He made sure I had my blood test first of all which was very kind of him. Staff are always very respectful and responded to my queries in a timely manner.
  • I had a telephone appointment with Dr. Shah. I feel she is incredibly caring and always goes above and beyond whenever I have an appointment with her, whether in person or by telephone. Dr. Shah explains everything clearly and I never feel rushed if I have questions. I feel very well cared for – thank you. I think the Kingfisher Practice is great! I think they are very pro-active in looking after my health. I have always found the receptionists to be very helpful and friendly despite the pressures of the role. I consider myself very lucky to be registered with the practice. The whole team do a great job. Thank you.
  • I was impressed to be given an emergency appointment on the same day, last Thursday at 6.00pm
  • Upon seeing Dr Dehal I was extremely pleased with the service provided by him. He was polite, very professional and treated me with immense respect by arranging a few tests for me e.g blood test, ultrasound scan, medication etc. It is very reassuring to know you can put trust in your GP and kind reception staff . Thank you Maswell Park Surgery for the great service provided.
  • Dr Dehal is a pleasure both to see and acts very promptly if there is a problem. Reception always very polite and helpful.
  • Good – The Practice Nurse welcomed me warmly. She took my weight and checked my feet and took my BP reading which I requested her to do. My appointment was for a diabetes check-up. I expected her to ask how I was feeling and to give her opinion. She never asked me about anything relating to my diabetes. After she had tested my feet and took my weight and BP reading, she said I can go. Then I asked her if she had done on checking me, she said yes. I was expecting to talk more on my condition which she did not.

Response: Thank you for your time in giving your response. From your response, it seems that the appointment you are describing was with one of our healthcare assistants (HCAs) for diabetic checks. Please be assured that our HCAs are trained to conduct tests necessary for managing diabetes, with their primary role including taking blood tests, measurements, and gathering other relevant information. Once these tests are completed, they will be reviewed, and we will book you in with one of our experienced practice nurses for your diabetes review.

During this follow-up appointment, the nurse will thoroughly discuss your condition depending on the results, answer any questions that you may have, and provide detailed guidance on how to manage your diabetes effectively. We apologise if the relevant steps and procedure were not explained to you and that you will receive a further appointment to discuss your diabetes in more detail.

  • I was able to get an appointment the same morning. Doctor was professional, caring and took time to attempt an early diagnoses. I waited 45 minutes in reception without any explanation.

Response: Thank you for your kind words regarding one of our doctors as well as bringing your recent experience to our attention. We sincerely apologise for the inconvenience that you faced due to the extended wait. We strive to provide timely and efficient service to all of our patients, and we understand how frustrating it can be when this standard is not met. On this occasion, it appears that there was a lapse in communication on our part, so from here we will review our procedures to ensure such delays are communicated promptly to patient. In future, please feel free to approach our reception staff, who can provide you with updates on the wait times, the number of patients ahead of you, as well as give you an explanation on why your appointment is running late.

  • Neither Good nor Poor – The doctor I spoke was great. However, some receptionists are very rude or mechanic, no compassion nor efficient. I have been suffering back pain for ages asked for help many times but no constructive offers were made and now my back is terrible state, I had to pay private to assess condition found out the cause in one appointment. If only they took seriously before by offering me MRI, my condition could have escaped and still they do not give fast appointment or referral.

Response: Thank you for your feedback. In regards to the rude receptionist, we apologise if you feel that you have not received the excellent care and service that we at Kingfisher Practice strive for. If you have any concerns, please do not hesitate to get in touch with our Practice Manager directly, so that the matter can be fully investigated.

Regarding your request for an MRI, ordering this directly is beyond the scope of primary care services, as this typically requires the involvement of a specialist. If a GP determines that an MRI is necessary, we will refer you to a designated specialist who can order the MRI if deemed appropriate. Unfortunately, as you mentioned specialist referrals can sometimes take longer due to high demand and the complexity of individual cases, although we do stay in touch with specialist departments to facilitate your appointment as quickly as possible.