Thank you to those who participated in the MySay Visiting a GP Survey!
Most people who completed the survey reported having a regular GP, and of those who did, majority said they had an excellent experience, felt the length of appointments was enough to meet their needs and found their GP was conveniently located or close to public transport.
The most common issues people raised were long wait times for GP appointments and not many same day appointments for unexpected illnesses. More than half of the people surveyed said they can’t always get an appointment when they need one. Of these people, over half resorted to seeing a different GP at the same clinic, followed by a GP at a different clinic, a nurse-led Walk-in Centre (WiC) and the Emergency Department (ED) to receive timely care.
Around two thirds of people surveyed didn't find cost to be a barrier to seeing their GP. Those who did find cost an issue reported visiting WiCs, the ED or other services as more affordable options.
It’s important to note the survey didn’t capture enough responses from young people, people from diverse cultural and language backgrounds, First Nations communities, or men, so the results may not reflect their views.
Overall, the insights have helped CHN to better understand access to GP care in the ACT and identified areas for improvement that will contribute to CHN’s future work.
