GP services in Wales: the perspective of older people. Older people's experiences of accessing and using GP services in Wales

Author:
OLDER PEOPLE'S COMMISSIONER FOR WALES
Publisher:
Older People's Commissioner for Wales
Publication year:
2017
Pagination:
114
Place of publication:
Cardiff

This report captures the voices and experiences of older people, setting out their perspective on accessing and using GP services in Wales. Findings are based on information shared by over 1,600 older people from across Wales and a wide range of stakeholders from the public and third sectors. The study finds that there are significant variations in older people’s experiences of GP services, with particular issues around the appointments booking process, the accessibility of GP surgeries and the surgery environment, the time available for appointments, communication and privacy. Specifically, the report indicates that: for too many older people, making an appointment is challenging, inflexible and unresponsive to individual needs and circumstances; the accessibility of many existing buildings continues to act as a barrier to access for some older people; for a number of older people, their GP service is not sufficiently aware of, or responsive to, their individual communication needs, particularly those living with a sensory loss or dementia or cognitive impairment; there is an understanding, whether perceived or explicit, that older people can only raise one issue within a ten-minute appointment – this could jeopardise their ability to have a say in decision making and reduce their confidence; some older people who wish to access GP services in the Welsh language are experiencing; and too many older people find it difficult to provide feedback, or raise a concern or complaint. (Edited publisher abstract)

Subject terms:
older people, general practitioners, primary care, user views, access to services;
Content type:
research
Location(s):
Wales
Link:
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