Dear NHS Choices,
I'd just like to comment that your "Results for GP in FULL POSTCODE" search is rather misleading in the fact that it doesn't take into account catchment areas. I've already had to call through a number of different surgeries only to be told that they don't serve my street — when they are less than a mile away?? Your search returns practices that are at least 2 miles out.
Having such small catchment areas in the first place is ridiculous, and not to mention a complete postcode lottery, but it's even more so if your website's location-based search doesn't take this into account. It's all very well having abilities like showing the 'general age of patients', which I'm sure is useful information to someone, somewhere, but these 'nice to haves' should only be implement once the more logical features are in place. I can't be the only person to have mentioned this...
So after what started out as a promising search, with a few pages of choice, it seems I have wasted time, money and I am actually stuck with only the first three on the list — all of which have very bad reviews.
Anything you can do to improve your search would be much appreciated, saving future exasperation of patients would be an honorable cause to have.
Reply — received 8th January 2014
Dear Mr Glanville
I am sorry to hear you have been frustrated by the lack of catchment area information for GPs displayed on NHS Choices. We do not present this data as it is not available as a centrally collated record.
GP practices catchment area is made at their own discretion, leading to variability across the country.
We do recognise that the catchment area impacts on patients ability to choose a GP practice and we are considering this in further iterations and in the development of NHS Choices.
Kind Regards
The NHS Choices Data Team
- Leave your comment • Category: Complaints, NHS, Politics, UI
- Share on Twitter, Facebook, Delicious, Digg, Reddit
