Our GPs are among the best in the country

Herefordshire people think their doctors are wonderful - and that's official. The 2008 National Patient Survey released by independent healthcare watchdogs - the Healthcare Commission - shows that Herefordshire Primary Care Trust and local GPs are top performers in two-thirds of the fields measured.

In the vast majority of cases, Herefordshire is in the national top 20 per cent in the country in terms of access to and quality and safety of local NHS services. But patients scored GPs particularly highly for their good communication skills, their accessibility and the cleanliness of GP centres.

Nationally, over 5 million people were invited to take part in the fourth national study by the commission. Patients were asked about their experiences of their local NHS, including making an appointment, the quality of care, communication with healthcare professionals, information, medicines, involvement in their care, referrals and health promotion.

Herefordshire Primary Care Trust welcomed the report, which showed that the county's GPs scored the best possible marks in the whole country for their communication skills. These were:

• Listening carefully to their patients (94%);
• Giving enough time for patients to discuss their health (91%);
• Explaining reasons for treatment in ways patients could understand (92%)

And GPs also scored very highly for:

• Confidence and trust (91%);
• Treating patients with respect and dignity (98%);
• Getting an appointment quickly (93%);
• Involving patients in decisions about their care (87%);
• Clear answers to patients' questions (91%);
• Enough information about the purpose of medicine (91%);
• Enough information about how to use the medicine (92%);
• Cleanliness of GP centre (94%);
• Convenient opening times (86%).

"This national survey is particularly important because it asks NHS patients what they actually think about the services we commission and provide", said Chris Bull, chief executive of Herefordshire Primary Care Trust and Herefordshire Council.

"We are delighted that again, the study reaffirms the high quality of GPs in Herefordshire and the time they take to listen to patients carefully and communicate clearly about their treatment".

"As part of our leadership role for healthcare in Herefordshire, the study enables us to compare our results with over 150 other primary care trusts and this helps us to determine the areas where we perform well or where there is room for improvement".

Every PCT in England participates in the survey as part of the commitment, set out in the NHS Plan, to design a health service around the individual needs of patients.