Reviewing patient access to GP practices in Redbridge - Report

To identify what access was like for patients, we asked our volunteers to contact practices via their reception telephone lines. If requested by the practice, we would also email our questions to the practice manager.

• Call waiting times varied greatly varied between most practices.
• Volunteers were on kept on hold for an average of ten minutes.
• The longest waiting time was 24 minutes.
• It took an average of three telephone calls before a volunteer could get through to a practice.
• Several practices were called five or more times before the call was answered.
• The most attempted telephone calls before a volunteer got through at one practice was 30.

"I have been trying to call my surgery for the past two weeks and am still unable to speak to anyone because of the time waiting for phone to be answered I have even tried ring back, but I can assure you it does not work." - Redbridge resident