Surgery expands to meet demand
As more people move into Cringleford, the doctor’s surgery has had to expand. Over two thousand new homes could be built in Cringleford under plans for the greater Norwich area. The surgery is keen to stress patients can get appointments, despite concerns raised in a recent survey, which led to the practice missing out on additional NHS funding.
Work on an extension started last summer, doubling Cringleford Surgery’s capacity to over 3000, allowing it to cater for new homeowners on Round House Park. The practice now has additional consulting rooms, and a dedicated minor surgery area. An enlarged waiting room is being fitted out and a new computerized check-in terminal is in the pipeline.
Cyril Lindsey, Managing Partner at the Humbleyard Practice, said: “I would like to take the opportunity to thank our patients and local residents for their patience and considerable understanding during the period of recent upheaval.”
The Humbleyard Practice recently came top in Norfolk with a 99% rating for surgeries where patients had most confidence and trust in their doctors. The GP Patient Survey can be entered voluntarily by practices. But they were disappointed to learn they’d lost out on practice funding, based on patients’ responses to two questions. Patients were asked whether they could see a GP within two days, and if they could to book an appointment with a GP more than two days ahead.
The practice stresses that any patient who needs to be seen the same day will be offered an appointment and that patients can book appointments up to 6 weeks ahead. Cyril Lindsey, managing partner puts the issue down to a “problem of perception.”
Nikki Cocks, from NHS Norfolk, explained how GP practices are paid for reaching quality standards: “Since 2008-9, the Quality Outcomes Framework payments made to GP practices for the ‘patient experience’ criteria, has been based on the results of the nationally run GP Patient Survey. Where Practices achieved a high patient satisfaction score, they are rewarded financially by the Department of Health, via NHS Norfolk. This acts as an incentive for practices to further improve their services for patients.”
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