Patients will be able to complete an online review of the services being offered by GPs in a bid to use the internet to give the public more influence over provision.
Ministers hope the move will harness the internet to drive improvements in public services by encouraging patients to share feedback on local services, including their GP.
The review on experiences, will be available from the summer, giving patients the chance to offer direct feedback.
The prime minister announced the plans, which are part of a public services reform, by saying: “We are ushering in a new world of accountability in which parents, patients and local communities shape the services they receive, ensuring all our public services respond not simply to the hand of government, but to the voice of local people.”
Gordon Brown has promised an “information revolution” to improve services after acknowledging that the government had been “too slow to make use of the enormous democratising power of information”.
Copyright © Press Association 2009
What do you think to this move? Your comments (terms and conditions apply):
“Worthless! Poorly judged and lacks understanding of what misconceptions are held by disgruntled patients. It may also mean that responses are distorted by those supporting practices” – Name and address withheld
“Fine so long as the practice can sue anyone who makes slanderous or inaccurate comments, and of course remove them from our list. it amazes me that those who are most free with their grumbles and disparaging comments are most aggrieved when removed from the list, eg, for repeatedly missing appointments. Given the high levels of ignorance about the functioning of their bodies and the wholly unrealistic expectations of patients, I really don’t think most patients are in a position to assess doctors” – Name and address withheld
“How will this be moderated? Patient attends surgery with expectations of xyz actions, which the clinician deems not apporpriate. Patient leaves disgruntled and pens whinges on the online site which might be clinically incorrect” – G Daniel, S Yorks
“Excellent initiative – but Gordon Brown should really be the first to benefit from ‘the enormous democratising power of information’: he should pilot the idea by allowing the public to complete an online review about government performance, including that of individual MPs” – Kate Harlow, Tunbridge Wells
