We listened to you, and we are improving patient care

Ballarat Group Practice recently carried out a patient survey (the Practice Accreditation and Improvement Survey) and asked for your honest opinions on the service we provide.  We listened to your concerns and have taken the following actions to make improvements to patient care where you feel it would be most useful.

You told us that you felt the wait times in surgery can be lengthy.

In response to this, posters are displayed in the waiting rooms to remind patients to book longer consultations for multiple concerns. Patients can now access wait times for their GP appointments via the HotDoc app on their phones, when checking in for their appointment – which can prevent having to wait long periods of time.  Patients are informed when they arrive for their appointment as to how their doctor is running for time, this allows you to decide whether to wait or go and come back.   

You told us you were not satisfied with the after-hours services.

Due to the Covid-19 Pandemic causing staff shortages, evening clinics have been closed for the short-term and will resume soon.  Weekend clinics are also closed due to lack of staff for the month of April however, a general practitioner is always on call for after hours for urgent medical attention and can meet a patient after hours at the clinic if suitable.  Telehealth consultations continue to be available to assist patients that may have difficulty getting into the practice and are also available if discussed with your GP for after-hours.

You told us that telephone wait times are of great concern.

The impact of COVID-19 has caused lower staff levels however, we are currently running campaigns for recruiting more staff for reception, call centre & Practice Manager positions.  We have implemented an automated booking process via HotDoc, as well as the options to request scripts and referrals through this method also, which alleviates the congestion on the phone system.  We are currently implementing a payment process via HotDoc when booking appointments, which will ease phone congestion again. Cancellation of appointments can also be done via HotDoc and we have reduced cancellation time from 24 hours to 3 hours prior to your appointment. 

We were pleased to also receive some very positive feedback which has been forwarded to the team at Ballarat Group Practice.

Whilst these surveys are done in an official capacity every three years, Ballarat Group Practice always welcomes patient feedback, both positive and any concerns, at all times of the year. Please follow the below link to provide feedback.

Patient Suggestions/Feedback  - Please note this link is for suggestions and is not checked daily, for urgent concerns please phone Ballarat Group Practice