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NEWS: Patients worry about practice privacy

NewsModern practice buildings have failed to allay patient concerns about privacy, according to a new study.

The majority of patients report there not being enough space at their local practice to allow “reasonable” privacy, according to the survey by the Patients Association.

Concerns centred on the reception area but some patients talked about having to “whisper” because of thin walls in consultation rooms.

Overall 58% of respondents cited privacy as a concern. Some said it was impossible to speak to a receptionist without being overhead while others said that privacy in the reception area “wasn’t good.”

Participants also raised concerns about access in many practice buildings. Just 46% said their local surgery had a lift.

Some reported doctors having to come downstairs to see patients and others reported difficulties in moving around buildings in wheelchairs.

About 40% criticised their local surgery as a “poor environment that made them feel anxious or stressed.”

Association chief executive Rachel Power said: “It’s a huge concern that the majority of people completing our survey reported issues relating to privacy and confidentiality at their local surgery – this goes against the law and official NHS guidance, and needs to be addressed. Patients who are sick and unwell will already be anxious about going to see a GP – the last thing they should need to worry about is whether their private conversations will be overheard by other people.”

She added: “Despite the concerns that people have, it’s clear that patients value the NHS and seek high quality care as a first priority when they visit their GP.

“Funding should primarily go into improving standards of care – and patients agree that this should be the case – but it should not be ignored that many buildings housing general practice are often old and in need of serious investment.”

Royal College of GPs chair Professor Helen Stokes-Lampard said: “Some practices are able to work around or make modest changes to overcome issues with their premises, but often the severe lack of resources across primary care has meant that many are functioning without essential structural improvements that could positively impact patients’ experiences of a practice.

“The same applies to concerns highlighted in the report about patient confidentiality at GP reception desks, which can sometimes become overcrowded due to waiting areas that are too small or have poor acoustics and don’t lend themselves to the privacy that patients expect and deserve.”

She added: “We understand that for some patients, discussion of their appointment with anyone other than their GP can make them uncomfortable. But we would like to assure them that GP receptionists are highly-trained members of the practice team and any questions they do ask patients questions about their health will be to ensure their visit to the surgery runs as smoothly as possible – and they will always strive to treat patient data as sensitively as possible.”

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