Patients to get say over family doctor hours

LONDON, Nov 27 (Reuters) Questionnaires are to be sent to five million patients across England asking them how easy it is to see their family doctor in the biggest ever survey of the National Health Service, the government said.

Details about the poll will be placed in GP surgeries over the next two weeks and the survey will be posted out to patients in January.

But doctors yesterday said the GP Patient Survey had been discredited by the government's insistence on adding ''biased'' questions at the last minute.

The questionnaire will ask patients about their experiences of flexible booking, telephone access and opening hours.

The questions will cover: - satisfaction with telephone access - the ability to book appointments within two days - whether it is possible to book ahead - the ability to book with a particular doctor.

The government is offering practices over 8,000 pounds in incentives if they are responsive to their patient's views on access.

''We have invested generously in the new contract for GPs,'' said Health Secretary Patricia Hewitt.

''We need now to make sure practices are responding to patient views on access.'' Hamish Meldrum of the British Medical Association said two extra questions on satisfaction with opening hours added by the Department of Health would raise patient expectations unfairly.

''The questions ask patients if they are satisfied with arrangements for early morning, evening and weekend surgeries at a time when the government is not prepared to provide GP practices with the resources to open at these times, all of which are outside GPs' agreed contractual hours.

''Although the imposed questions will not directly affect practice income, we feel they have the potential to bias responses to all the other questions which will.'' REUTERS BDP PM0829