Northumberland NHS bosses want to find out what patients across the county think of access to their GPs.
After almost two years of Covid-19, the NHS Northumberland CCG is running a survey to hear how people feel about how easy it is to get the appointments they need - and if that has changed during the pandemic.
The survey focuses on how people feel about "which healthcare professional they would prefer to see, how quickly they want to be seen and whether weekend and evening appointments are useful". The NHS also wants to know whether people find telephone or online consultations preferable.
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The CCG said it had seen a "rapid increase" in the use of telephone and video consultations with GPs and "recognises that these new methods have affected different people in different ways".
However, it also highlighted that out of 1.8 million GP appointments in 2021, 1.1 million had been face-to-face.
The results of the survey will be used to inform how access to GP services could change in future, the NHS bosses said.
Dr Robin Hudson, a GP in the county and medical director of the CCG, said: "The Covid-19 pandemic has required staff in General Practice to adapt quickly by introducing a range of different options to ensure that we can continue to provide the safest possible care to our patients.
"This, of course, has meant that patients have also had to adapt to these changes, some of which have been required while others have been introduced to cope with increasing demand. We recognise too that our patients have different needs and requirements, which is why we are really keen to get as many views as possible on accessing GP services."
Dr Hudson said it was vital that patients were able to see "the right person, providing the right care, in the right place and at the right time", and explained the purpose of the consultation was to assess how much this was the case and produce an "accurate picture" of what it is people in Northumberland need.
He added: "I would also like to reassure patients that GPs and all of the other crucial staff in our practices remain here for you and your family. We are making increased use of online and telephone consultations, but face-to-face appointments are available for those who need them. Last year, GP practices in Northumberland carried out more than 1.8 million appointments and almost 1.1 million of those were face-to-face."
Speaking to ChronicleLive in the autumn, Northumberland GPs Dr Graham Syers and Dr Jane Lothian told of how it was an "incredibly challenging" situation for GPs facing huge demand - but they reiterated that everyone who wanted a face-to-face appointment would receive one.
Last year, Health Secretary Sajid Javid announced a £250m funding boost for primary care - but said resources would be tied to meeting targets for face-to-face appointments.
The survey is available online here and paper copies are also available by contacting 01670 335 157 or norccg.comms@nhs.net. It runs until February 25.
