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.