Website and phone message reviews forge best practice guides for GP surgeries

Our research team of six volunteers took the lead on both projects, assessing the websites and phone messages of all 49 GP practices in Wiltshire.

The project has culminated in best practice guides of what 'good' looks like to help practices improve the way they communicate with patients.

Identifying what 'good' looks like

The GP Websites Review looked at how useful, accessible, up-to-date and informative the GP websites were, with our volunteer researchers putting themselves in the position of someone needing to contact their surgery. 

They found that the majority of the websites were easy to find, navigate, read, and understand, but there was significant variation in the quality and quantity of information.

Our volunteers’ recommendations for improving the websites, as outlined in our report, can be used as a checklist for GP practices to follow. 

Mystery shop focuses on message content

For the GP Phone Messages Review, our volunteers carried out a mystery shop, listening to automated messages and assessing their content, tone and length. 

The mystery shop revealed a wide variation in the information provided in recorded phone messages, and the way the messages were delivered.

Our research team identified that good messages are easy to understand, are as short as possible and have a friendly, reassuring tone. Calls that cut off, long, rambling messages and a defensive tone are confusing, and may make the patient feel they are a nuisance.  

Again, we made recommendations based on our observations, with one of our volunteers creating a template message that could be adopted by practices. 

'Constructive feedback is always welcome'

Both reports have been shared with Wessex Local Medical Committees Ltd (Wessex LMC), who represent GPs and practices across the region.

Dr Andy Purbrick, Joint Chief Executive of Wessex LMC, said of our website review:

“It isn’t surprising that there was significant variation in the quality and quantity of the information on practice websites. Often websites can become a victim of their own success, becoming a huge piece of work for practices to keep up to date.

“Constructive feedback with examples of what ‘good’ looks like are always welcome. Your list of recommendations will provide a useful crib sheet for practices to refer to when reviewing their websites.”

He added about our phone message review:

“Many thanks for sharing this useful piece of research with us. It is good to see that a significant majority of reviewers found the messages easy to understand and informative [but] it would appear that practices could focus more on making their messaging more welcoming and personal.

"Your list of positive features provides a good aspirational template on which practices can base their phone messaging.”

Catharine Symington, Interim Manager at Healthwatch Wiltshire, said:

“These projects were a huge and complex task for our volunteers and we are hugely grateful for their determination and thoroughness in carrying out this very detailed piece of work.

“Their observations and assessments have provided GP practices with valuable tools to help them improve their websites and phone messages, which are vital first points of contact for patients.”