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Patient Survey 2025
We would like to take this opportunity to thank our PPG (Patient Participation Group) for their support in creating our patient survey undertaken last year. They volunteer several hours of their time each month to support our practice.
We would also like to thank our patients for taking the time to complete the survey.
Your feedback enables us to review and implement changes to improve our services. Our aim and focus now is to bring in improvements that provide all patients with a consistent, professional and patient-friendly service, offering improved access, consistency and better patient satisfaction.
Patient Survey Action Plan 2025
You Said
- Access remains an issue. Offer more pre-bookable online appointments and extend evening appointments.
Our Response
- ANIMA is now open all day for routine requests. There may be occasions when availability is limited for urgent cases and patients are directed to alternative healthcare providers.
- Routine GP appointments are triaged by doctors or nurse practitioners. This enables us to allocate the most appropriate healthcare provider to the patient.
- We would like to offer more online appointments for routine matters such as blood tests and cervical smears. However, our previous experience showed misuse by patients booking inappropriate appointments, for example ECGs in
- smear appointment slots or unauthorised blood tests.
- Practices within our PCN (Primary Care Network) already provide Extended Access across the week. The service runs from Thornhills Surgery in Larkfield and includes evening GP appointments and First Contact Practitioner appointments for musculoskeletal issues at weekends.
Action Plan
- Immediate change.
- Continue to triage effectively.
- Review and look at ways to improve online appointment availability.
- Although restricted by funding, we will work with the PCN to explore whether additional services can be added to Extended Hours Access
Measure
- Monitor bi-monthly complaints received.
- Monitor complaints and review six-monthly.
- Analyse the number of appointments provided.
You Said
- ANIMA is found to be confusing and unfair due to 8am congestion.
Our Response
- As ANIMA is now open all day, this should relieve pressure on 8am congestion.
- In addition to information on the practice website, we work closely with the PPG, who offer workshops and have created a user guide.
Action Plan
- Continue liaison with the PPG to offer periodic face-to-face workshop sessions.
Measure
- Monitor need.
You Said
- Improve reception service quality and consistency.
Our Response
- A meeting has taken place to review quality of service.
- Actions:
- When the waiting room is less busy, the front-desk receptionist will acknowledge patients and invite them to check in at the front desk.
- All receptionists will undertake Receptionist Masterclass, Customer Care, and Handling Difficult Situations with Compassion training.
- Team leads will listen to call quality for learning and service improvement.
- The receptionist role requires a wide range of knowledge. We have created and continue to update our Practice Knowledge Guide to support receptionists in their role.
- Recruitment has been a problem. However, as soon as the team is at full capacity, we would like to offer a meet-and-greet receptionist in the waiting room to promote the NHS App and ANIMA, and support patients with general enquiries.
Action Plan
- Immediate start to arrange training for all receptionists.
- Arrange protected time for staff to complete training if it falls outside their normal work pattern.
- Start routine monitoring to assess service standards.
- Provide additional support when training needs are identified.
- Complete recruitment.
Measure
- Regular monitoring and planning to ensure all team members meet the training standard.
- Ongoing monitoring.
- Regular review and updating.
- Review complaints for common themes to identify areas for improvement.
You Said
- Communication: update website content and usability.
Our Response
- The website is managed by a third-party provider who is able to add information from the Kent and Medway ICB.
Action Plan
- Implement bi-monthly reviews to ensure information remains accurate and up to date.
Measure
- Ongoing monitoring.
You Said
- Improve reception service quality and consistency.
Our Response
- A meeting has taken place to review quality of service.
- Actions:
- When the waiting room is less busy, the front-desk receptionist will acknowledge patients and invite them to check in at the front desk.
- All receptionists will undertake Receptionist Masterclass, Customer Care, and Handling Difficult Situations with Compassion training.
- Team leads will listen to call quality for learning and service improvement.
- The receptionist role requires a wide range of knowledge. We have created and continue to update our Practice Knowledge Guide to support receptionists in their role.
- Recruitment has been a problem. However, as soon as the team is at full capacity, we would like to offer a meet-and-greet receptionist in the waiting room to promote the NHS App and ANIMA, and support patients with general enquiries.
Action Plan
- Immediate start to arrange training for all receptionists.
- Arrange protected time for staff to complete training if it falls outside their normal work pattern.
- Start routine monitoring to assess service standards.
- Provide additional support when training needs are identified.
- Complete recruitment.
Measure
- Regular monitoring and planning to ensure all team members meet the training standard.
- Ongoing monitoring.
- Regular review and updating.
- Review complaints for common themes to identify areas for improvement.
You Said
- NHS App: offer support in accessing the NHS App.
Our Response
- We will look to improve the information available to include short videos, posters and other support materials. There is currently an NHS campaign to raise awareness of the NHS App.
Action Plan
- Immediate start to ensure campaign materials are available on the website, plasma screens and noticeboards.
Measure
- Ongoing monitoring.
2025 Patient Survey Results
The Patient Survey was created through collaboration between the practice and the Patient Participation Group.
The results of the survey follow. The responses to survey questions have been analysed and are presented as graphs and statistics.
Prepared by the West Malling Group Practice Patient Participation Group.
We are always looking for fellow patients to join our group. If you would like to learn more about the PPG and perhaps join, please send an application request to Bob MacDonald, PPG Chair
Q1 Approximately how often do you interact with the practice?
Answered: 2,379 and Skipped: 22
Q2 How helpful do you find the doctors at the practice?
Answered: 2,385 and Skipped: 16
Q3 How helpful do you find the nurses at the practice?
Answered: 2,387 and Skipped: 14
Q4 How helpful do you find the receptionists at the practice?
Answered: 2,378 and Skipped: 23
Q5 How easy do you find the practice's website to look for information or services?
Answered: 2,379 and Skipped: 22
Q6 Have you used, or tried to use, any of the following services?
Answered: 2,304 and Skipped: 97
Q7 Primary care services are evolving. Did you know that we offer the following healthcare practitioners?
Answered: 1,197 and Skipped: 1,204
Q8 Care navigation is the term used for how patients are signposted to the most suitable service. Receptionists will question patients in order to direct them appropriately. Have you been directed to any of these?
Answered: 146 and Skipped: 2,255
Published: Jun 15, 2026
