The Liverpool Plains community health services survey has closed. We received 265 responses to the survey.

Accessing GP services

Wait times for a GP appointment spanned anywhere from 1 week to more than 6 weeks. Most participants (68%) reported being able to access their GP in 1-4 weeks.

Accessing a GP outside of routine business hours is a key challenge. 134 participants reported that they tried to access a GP outside of business hours in the previous 12 months. More than half of these (73 participants) were not able to access a doctor.

Accessing specialist doctors

Just over two-thirds of participants (69%) had needed to access specialist services in the previous 12 months. For most (88%), travel to Tamworth, Newcastle or Sydney was required to access these services.

Use of emergency department services

Two-thirds (69%) of participants reported that they had accessed emergency department services in the previous 12 months. Out of those who did access emergency services, almost half (46%) reported that the service did not meet their needs. Limited access to an on-site doctor in the emergency department and the substitution of a telehealth consult in its place, alongside lengthy wait times, were the key issues participants encountered with emergency department services.

Accessing telehealth services

Just under half of the participants (49%) had accessed services via telehealth in the previous 12 months. Satisfaction with telehealth was generally high amongst participants, with 64% reporting that it met their needs.