NHS-UP: A primary healthcare innovation to improve patient satisfaction

Changes in primary healthcare are essential in order to keep on top of escalating costs, resource constraints, and rising and changing patient demands. Although solutions are seemingly obvious, the drivers for these are complex and heavily influenced by bureaucracy. Instead, it seems the NHS has created a patch-worked, path-dependent organisation by adding new systems and practices year upon year (often contained by contracts signed in the past). 

Are patient perceptions of the primary healthcare system depreciating? Do patients have trouble booking appointments? Are patients seeking support from alternative sources? National evidence suggests that patients are becoming increasingly dissatisfied with the quality of primary care, and are having increasing trouble accessing GP services. (Baird et al., 2016: p.21) 

As the pressure on general practice has increased, patients experience has declined. (Appleby, 2013: p.76) In a recent study by Healthwatch England (n.d.: p.4), patients expressed the following problems when trying to access GP care:

• Difficulty booking appointments over the phone
• Lack of same-day appointments
• Telephone triage systems perceived intrusive
• Inadequate staff/patient communication
• Lack of coordination with other services
• Limited support towards alternative care
• Issues registering with GP practices