MORE Huddersfield patients are getting to see their GPs within 48 hours, says a survey.

Some 88% of Kirklees people who took part in a national study said they were able to get an appointment within two days, as against 71% last year.

The results also showed 89% were satisfied with phone access to their GP practice and 75% were able to book an appointment up to two days ahead.

The GP patient survey – Your Doctor, Your Experience, Your Say – was posted to 47,000 Kirklees homes and 21,075 responded.

People were asked 12 questions covering four keys areas relating to accessing GP services.

Consulting a GP within two working days, booking ahead for non-urgent appointments, contacting practices by phone and making an appointment with a GP of the patient’s choice were among the issues focused on.

The feedback will be used by Kirklees Primary Care Trust, which manages GP practices, to assess whether patients are satisfied with existing opening hours and identify the ways services can be improved.

Trust chairman Rob Napier said he was delighted with the results of the patient survey.

He added: “We work with practices on a regular basis to monitor quality and accessibility.

“Our findings, along with the results in this latest survey, show that they are meeting the standards and that patients are experiencing a good level of care.”

One of the trust’s main aims is to make sure patients are able to see a health professional of their choice within 48 hours.

It is working with all practices to make sure they are using booking facilities.

GP practices will receive payments linked to the percentage of positive responses received from patients surveyed as part of the study commissioned by the Government’s Health Department.

All primary care trusts in England are involved in an NHS survey to find out what patients think of primary healthcare services.

The results of the survey will be shown on the Health Department website www.dh.gov.uk for patients to view their practices’ results and compare them with other practices locally.