The Service, Online: A review of GP Practice websites in Manchester regarding their offer of the Enhanced Access Service

Report - 14 August 2024

HWM have recently completed a review and produced a report on our findings in regards to the awareness and information given about the Enhanced Access Service at GP practices across Manchester via their websites.

This investigation involved HWM staff reviewing each GP practice website in Manchester to assess the ease with which information about the EAS could be found and then how accessible and comprehensible it was.

In order to ensure that the review process for each GP practice website was consistent, objective and fair, the HWM team agreed to a standard procedure for conducting the review. We looked for information regarding the EAS on each website by inputting the term 'Enhanced Access Service' in the search bar.

Following this step, we assessed each website for the following information:

  •  Hours and days of the week that the service is offered e.g. 6:30pm – 8pm Monday to Friday and 9am - 5pm Saturday 
  • Appointment time e.g. same day or pre-booked
  • Method of appointment e.g. face to face or remote/virtual

Each of the above points were classified as an Assessment Criteria.

We also reviewed each website for the ease of navigation to the EAS information. We did this by making note of how many ‘clicks’ were required to reach the information after inputting the phrase ‘Enhanced Access Service’ into the search bar.

After completing our website reviews, we found that 20 of the 83 practices directly referenced the ‘Enhanced Access Service’ on their website. However, 38 websites did not use the phrase ‘Enhanced Access Service’, they did reference a service similar to this, for example the Out of Hours or Extended Access/Hours services. 

In conclusion, a minority of GP practice websites directly referenced the EAS in its current form. A significant proportion of GP practice websites did not mention the EAS or any previously named service. 

However, the majority of GP practice websites mentioned either the EAS or the service with a previous name.

HWM recommended that all GP practice website need to be updated to present information about the EAS accurately using its current nomenclature. Moreover, time and resources need to be invested in GP practice websites in order to ensure they present accurate and up to date information regarding the EAS. This should include:

  • The correct name for the service – ‘Enhanced Access Service’
  • Full details about the hours + days of the week that the service is offered
  • Full details about appointment times 
  • Full details about the method of appointment

See download link below to read the full report.

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