Getting through to a GP on the phone is one thing, but how helpful is the reception staff at your practice?
Those are just some of the many questions some 3,825 residents across Oldham answered in this year's NHS England Patient Survey as patients took the chance to voice their opinion on their local GP surgery.
The data shines a spotlight on Oldham's worst to best-rated GP surgeries overall, as well as how easy patients find it to get through on the phone, if they can book a face-to-face appointment, if their GP 'cares' and how soon they can obtain an appointment.
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The data this year puts CH Medical Practice at the top of the league table as the best surgery overall while Werneth Medical Practice takes the bottom spot for the second year running.
The questionnaire also asked patients to determine whether the reception staff at the surgery are "very helpful", "fairly helpful", "not very helpful" and "not at all helpful" - with some faring far worse than others.
So let's take a look at how helpful, or unhelpful, the team in some GP surgeries are from patients' point of view.
The worst reception staff
1. Werneth Medical Practice
Coming in last place with just 53 per cent of patients describing the reception staff as helpful is Werneth Medical Practice.
The Featherstall Road South surgery, which sits within Werneth Primary Care Centre, has been crowned the worst overall for the past two years - and again was graded the worst for its reception staff last year.
It was also rated amongst the worst for treating patients with "care and concern" in appointments- with only 63 per cent of patients saying they felt this was the case.
Despite the bleak results, patients do seem to find the practice is making improvements, as the helpfulness of receptionists has increased from last year's rating where just 43 per cent of patients found staff to be helpful.
A spokesperson for the practice also told The Oldham Times it is "pleased with the improvements" it has put in place, having increased appointment numbers, staff and implemented a new telephone system.
It also received a 'good' rating from the Care Quality Commission and came third out of all Oldham practices in a local quality scheme.
The spokesperson added: "Our national survey has historically had a very low sample size, while our much larger internal survey shows satisfaction at 67 per cent which follows the national trend.
"We will endeavour to strive for further improvement."
2. The Duru Practice
This surgery within the Integrated Care Centre on New Radcliffe Street, closed down in March this year.
The survey results reveal the GP was the third worst in the borough - and the second worst when it came to the helpfulness of its staff with a score of 55 per cent.
3. The Royton & Crompton Family Practice
In third place on the unhelpful list is Royton and Crompton Family Practice, which sits within Royton Health and Wellbeing Centre.
It had a poor overall 'good' score of just 49 per cent - and patients found staff were helpful 60 per cent of the time.
Alexandra Group Medical Practice and Royton Medical Center followed closely behind as patients said the surgeries' staff were helpful 64 per cent and 66 per cent of the time respectively.
The best reception staff
1. Moorside Medical Practice
At the completely other end of the spectrum was Moorside Medical Practice - with a near-perfect score of 99 per cent of patients deeming the reception team to be helpful.
The GP surgery on Ripponden Road also came in second place as one of the best practices in Oldham.
2. Quayside Medical Practice
In Failsworth, Quayside Medical Practice scored a rather average "good" result - but patients deemed its reception staff to be exceptionally helpful with a 99 per cent rating.
3. CH Medical Practice
This Chadderton surgery on Fields New Road bagged the top spot this year as the borough's best GP surgery overall.
It's also home to some of the most helpful team, scoring 89 per cent amongst patients for helpfulness.
St Mary's Medical Centre team also deserve an honourable mention as well as Hopwood House Medical Practice, Leesbrook Surgery, Oldham Family Practice and Lindley House Health Centre, all of whom scored 88 per cent.
Got a story? Email me Olivia.bridge@newsquest.co.uk
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