The Light

Updated 12 February 2024

The Light Surgery is an NHS GP practice which provides primary care services to patients in an area of Leeds, West Yorkshire. We carried out an announced assessment of one quality statement, equity of access, under the key question Responsive at the Light Surgery on the 11 March 2024. We carried out the assessment as part of our work to understand how practices are working to try to meet peoples demands for access and to better understand the experiences of people who use services and providers. We recognise the work that GP practices have been engaged in to continue to provide safe, quality care to the people they serve. We know staff are carrying this out whilst the demand for general practice remains exceptionally high, with more appointments being provided than ever. However, in this challenging context, access to general practice remains a concern for people. Our strategy makes a commitment to deliver regulation driven by people’s needs and experiences of care. The assessment of the quality statement equity of access includes looking at what practices are doing innovatively to improve patient access to primary care and sharing this information to drive improvement. Overall, the practice is rated as good and the key question responsive continues to be rated as providing a good service. We found that the practice had organised services to meet patients’ needs, particularly those who were most likely to have difficulty accessing care, so that people can access care, treatment and support when they need it and in a way that works for them. The practice sought out and used feedback and other data/information to monitor and improve access.

Updated 12 February 2024

In the 2023 National GP Patient Survey (January – April 2023), the practice’s data demonstrated responses to patient satisfaction with GP practice appointment times and satisfaction with the appointment offered were around the national and local averages and were similar in performance to previous year’s results. Responses to the question how easy it is to get through to the practice by phone were significantly worse than national average. Satisfaction with the overall experience of making an appointment was worse than the national average. The practice acknowledged this performance, had taken action and implemented changes to improve. Feedback and data demonstrated an improvement in these areas due to changes made. The practice undertook internal satisfaction surveys and acted on feedback, for example, introduction of online and digital options for contact and appointments to reduce phone pressures. CQC received feedback from nine patients. All were positive about the care, treatment and access. Feedback included how improvements had been made in respect of access over the last 12 months and how online systems had made a positive impact on access. Feedback from patients regarding the EHub initiative (a same day response model of delivering online consultations at scale) demonstrated high satisfaction and improved access. Where any aspects of survey results were lower than expected the practice analysed these and made changes to improve. The practice had reviewed and responded to feedback and continues to make improvements. We recognise the pressure that practices are currently working under, and the efforts staff are making to maintain levels of access for their patients. At the same time, our strategy makes a commitment to deliver regulation driven by people’s needs and experiences of care. We found that the practice sought and acted on feedback relating to access.