Swindon patients have had their say on which GPs have the most and least helpful receptionists.

The latest results of NHS England's extensive annual independent survey of more than two million patients' experiences around the UK indicate which doctors’ surgeries are offering the most satisfying services for people in their communities.

The IPSOS Mori/NHS England survey consisted of around 2.56 million questionnaires sent out to patients aged 16 or over registered with GP practices in England, from January 2 to March 2, 2024.

Altogether, 699,790 patients completed and returned a questionnaire, resulting in a national response rate of 27.3 per cent.

The results indicate the best and worst GPs overall while also including various specific aspects of patients' experiences such as how easy it is to book an appointment, how easy the practice is to contact by phone, how good the healthcare professional was at listening to and treating them, and what happens if an appointment is needed out-of-hours.

Made with Flourish

The Adver has tallied up the responses by patients from more than 20 surgeries in the Swindon area to show which GP had the highest percentage of people who said they found the reception and administrative team at their local GP to be helpful.

Most surgeries saw more than 80 per cent of their patients answering with either 'fairly helpful' and 'very helpful', rather than opting for 'not very helpful' or 'not at all helpful'.

In the case of two practices receiving the same percentage satisfaction rate, the practice with the larger response rate gets ranked higher than the other in the below lists.

The Swindon GPs with the most helpful receptionists according to NHS patients

Cricklade Surgery - 96 per cent, 108 respondents.

Priory Road Medical Centre - 95 per cent, 131 respondents.

Purton Surgery - 95 per cent, 115 respondents.

Old Town Surgery - 92 per cent, 110 respondents.

Victoria Cross Surgery and Abbey Meads Medical Practice (tie) - 91 per cent ,169 respondents each.

The five lowest-scoring GP surgeries in the ‘helpful receptionists category’

Hawthorn Medical Practice - 59 per cent, 90 respondents.

Whalebridge Practice - 67 per cent, 191 respondents.

Merchiston Surgery - 71 per cent, 117 respondents.

Phoenix Surgery - 75 per cent, 108 respondents.

New Court Surgery - 77 per cent, 104 respondents.

There is some overlap with the results for the overall experience question, which was topped by Cricklade Surgery with Whalebridge Practice placing lowest on the list.