Publication - Research and analysis

Primary care - public understanding and perceptions survey: analysis report

Published: 9 November 2022
Directorate: Population Health Directorate
Part of: Health and social care
ISBN: 9781805251736

Findings from a survey run by the Scottish Government and The Scottish Centre for Social Research to understand public perceptions of primary care in Scotland.

Supporting documents

Annex 1: Questionnaire

Note: Guidance on 'don't know' and 'prefer not to say' responses

The default is that 'don't know' and 'prefer not to say' options are 'hidden', that is, they appear if a person tried to proceed past a question without answering it. For some questions, a decision may be made that these answer options should not be hidden. Unhidden 'don't know' and 'prefer not to say' will been included in the documentation that follows. If 'don't know' or 'prefer not to say' is not listed then this means the options were 'hidden'.

Introductory text:

"Hi, welcome to our survey.

Even if you do not feel sure of your answer, we still value your opinion, but please answer as honestly as you can. Once you have finished the survey, we'll send you a £5 shopping voucher as a thank you for your time.

The survey should take you around 15 minutes to complete, but this may be a little longer or shorter depending on your circumstances. You don't have to complete the whole survey in one go – any progress you make will be saved and you can start where you left off when you next log in.

To get started, simply click the 'Next' button below."

Demographic Information

"First we would like to ask you a few questions about yourself to help us understand if, and how, using healthcare differs across different groups of people living in Scotland. As with all the questions in the survey, you can choose not to answer any question if you don't want to by selecting next."

How is your health in general? Would you say it was ...

Please select one answer

Very good
Good
Fair
Bad
Very bad

Do you have a physical or mental health condition or illness lasting, or expected to last, 12 months or more?

Please select one answer

Yes
No
Prefer not to say [Display on screen]

Thinking about the last 12 months, have you had or experienced any of the following?

Please do not include any experiences of Covid-19

Please select all that apply

Deafness or severe hearing impairment
Blindness or severe vision impairment
Chronic pain lasting at least 3 months
A physical disability
A learning disability
A mental health condition
Full or partial loss of voice or significant difficulty speaking
Another health condition (specify)
None of the above [EXCLUSIVE]

Does this condition limit your activities in any way?

Yes, a lot
Yes, a little
Not at all

Are you currently registered with a General Practice?

You might also think of this as your doctor's surgery or local health centre.

Please select one answer

Yes
No
Not sure

Apart from anything you do as part of paid employment, do you look after, or give any regular help or support to family members, friends, neighbours or others because of either long-term physical, mental ill-health, disability; or problems related to old age?

Please select one answer

Yes
No

Awareness and confidence of different sources of health advice and information

How easy or difficult would you say it is for you to find information on what to do if you have a specific health concern?

Please select one answer

Scale {reverse between interviews}:

Very easy
Fairly easy
Neither easy nor difficult
Fairly difficult
Very difficult

Imagine you had an unexpected health concern that was not life threatening. If you needed to get help quickly from a health service, how confident, if at all, are you that ...?

Please select one answer

You know enough about the range of NHS services you can use, for example, minor injury clinics, a local pharmacy or calling 111
You know, or can easily find out, when your General Practice and other NHS services are open
You know, or can easily find out, who to contact when your General Practice is closed

Scale {reverse between interviews}:

Very confident
Fairly confident
Not very confident
Not at all confident

Still thinking about if you had an unexpected health concern that is not life threatening. How likely, if at all, is it that you would ...?

Please select one answer

Check what family or friends think you should do about it
Look on the internet to decide what the problem might be
Look on the internet to decide what to do about it

Scale {reverse between interviews}:

Very likely
Fairly likely
Not very likely
Not at all likely

Sources would take for particular conditions

The following questions describes some health problems you could have and ask you what you would do in that situation.

First, imagine you have had diarrhoea and vomiting for two days.

Which, if any, of the following would you do?

Please select all that apply

{Randomise codes keeping 1 and 2 together 'none of these' at the end}

And which one of those would you do first?

Please select one answer

Second, imagine you have had back pain for two weeks and have not been able to sleep.

Which, if any, of the following would you do?

Please select all that apply

{Randomise codes keeping 'none of these' at the end}

Look online for advice from the NHS
Look for advice online from non-NHS sources
Go to the Accident and Emergency department (A&E) or a minor injury unit
Contact a General Practice (including General Practice 'out of hours' service)
Go to a chemist/pharmacist
Contact an NHS physiotherapist (through General practice or self-referral)
Contact a private physical therapist (e.g. physiotherapist, osteopath, chiropractor)
Call NHS24 (111)
Deal with the problem myself
None of these [EXCLUSIVE]

And which one of those would you do first?

Awareness and understanding of services in General Practice

Now we would like to ask about appointments that you might get through a General Practice. An appointment could be by phone, by video (e.g. NearMe or Skype) or in person at the surgery.

You do not need to be currently registered with a General Practice to answer these questions

Before today, would you say that you were, or were not, aware that when you call a General Practice you could, depending on your health concern, be offered an appointment with one of the following?

Please select one answer per row

Rows:

Doctor (GP)
A pharmacist or pharmacy technician based in a General Practice
A Mental Health professional
A Physiotherapist(s)
Someone who provides advice or links to other services e.g. a community link worker, a welfare advisor etc.)
A Nurse (e.g. general practice nurse, an advanced nurse practitioner, or health care assistant)

Columns:

Aware
Not aware

In the last 12 months, how many times have you contacted, visited or had an appointment with the following for health advice or treatment?

Please do not include any advice or treatment you sought for COVID-19.

Please select one answer on each row

[Please split across three separate screens/grids]

Grid 1:

A GP or General Practice nurse during normal hours
An out of hours service
A pharmacist or pharmacy technician based in a General Practice
A physiotherapist
Someone who provides advice or links to other services (e.g. a community link worker, a welfare advisor)
Another NHS service or professional in a General Practice
NHS/hospital outpatient services
A Health visitor/ district nurse
NHS 24 (111)
NHS Inform
999/Ambulance/Accident and Emergency

Which of the following, if any, are reasons why you have not contacted your General Practice in the last 12 months?

Please select all that apply

{Randomise codes leaving don't know, other and none of these at the end}

I have not needed to
I have been able to access the information I needed online
I have been able to access advice/care through other services (not online)
I don't want to burden the NHS/ I think other people might need the service more
I generally avoid contacting a General Practice (even before the Covid-19 pandemic)
l feel anxious or uncomfortable about doing things like contacting a General Practice
I used private/alternative healthcare services
I spoke to family or friends
Other
None of these [EXCLUSIVE]

Thinking about the last time you contacted your General Practice, did you do any of the following before doing so?

Please select all that apply

{Randomise codes leaving Other and 'none of these' at end. {} around several codes means keep together when randomising}

Looked at NHS advice online/used an online NHS service (e.g. NHS Inform)
Called an NHS helpline, such as NHS 24 (111)
Contacted or used another NHS service}
Spoke to a chemist/community pharmacist
Went to A&E
Tried to treat myself / the person I was making this appointment for (for example with medication)
Asked for advice from a friend or family member
Tried to get information or help from a non-NHS service
Other (specify)
None of these [EXCLUSIVE]

Still thinking about the last 12 months, how many times have you contacted, visited or had an appointment with the following for health advice or treatment?

Please do not include any advice or treatment you sought for COVID-19.

A member of a Community Mental Health Team during normal hours (e.g. community psychiatric nurse, psychiatrist, psychologist)
A member of a Community Mental Health Team in an out-of-hours service (e.g. community psychiatric nurse, psychiatrist, psychologist)
A Telehealth Service for Mental Health and Wellbeing (e.g. Breathing Space)

Still thinking about the last 12 months, how many times have you contacted, visited or had an appointment with the following for health advice or treatment?

Please do not include any advice or treatment you sought for COVID-19.

A local chemist/community pharmacy
A high street dentist
A high street optician/optometrist
A health charity

Scale:

Never
Once
2-4 times
5-9 times
10 times or more

And which of these did you contact or visit most recently?

A GP/doctor or practice nurse during normal hours
An out of hours service
A pharmacist or pharmacy technician based in a General Practice
A physiotherapist
Someone who provides advice or links to other services (e.g. a community link worker, a welfare advisor)
Another NHS service or professional in a General Practice
NHS/hospital outpatient services
Health visitor/ district nurse
NHS 24 (111)
NHS Inform
999/Ambulance/Accident and Emergency
A member of a Community Mental Health Team during normal hours (e.g. community psychiatric nurse, psychiatrist, psychologist)
A member of a Community Mental Health Team in an out-of-hours service (e.g. community psychiatric nurse, psychiatrist, psychologist)
Telehealth Service for Mental Health and Wellbeing (e.g. Breathing Space)
A local chemist/community pharmacy
A high street dentist
A high street optician/optometrist
A health charity

Thinking about the most recent time you received health treatment or advice, what was this for?

Please do not include any advice or treatment you sought for COVID-19.

Please select all that apply.

An injury or accident
A dental/oral health problem
Another physical health problem
Maternity care/birth control
A mental health problem
A routine check up
Something else (please specify)
Prefer not to say

Still thinking about this most recent occasion, how did the person you spoke with give you treatment or advice?

Please select one answer

Video call
Over the telephone
In person at a General Practice
Went to a local chemist/community pharmacy
In person appointment in another NHS setting (e.g. a hospital)
In person at a private healthcare setting
In person in my home
Some other way (specify)

And how satisfied or dissatisfied were you with your overall experience on this occasion?

Very Satisfied
Satisfied
Neither Satisfied nor Dissatisfied
Dissatisfied
Very Dissatisfied

Still thinking about the most recent time you received treatment or advice about your health in the last 12 months…

Would you say that you were listened to…?

Please select one answer.

Scale {reverse between interviews}

Very well
Quite well
Not very well
Not at all

And were you given the chance to ask questions about your care and treatment?

Please select one answer

Yes
No
Don't know/can't remember

Did the person you spoke to check to make sure that you understood the information they gave you?

Please select one answer

Yes
No
Don't know/can't remember

How involved did you feel in decisions about your care and treatment?

Please select one answer

Very involved
Somewhat involved
Not at all involved

Trust and confidence in general practice

To what extent, if at all, would you trust information and advice about your health from each of the following sources?

Rows {Randomise rows}:
GPs
General practice nurses
Mental health professionals
Pharmacists based in a General Practice
Other health staff in a General Practice
The local chemist/community pharmacy
Dentists
Physiotherapists
NHS 24 (111)
Accident & Emergency doctors/nurses
Other NHS hospital staff

Scale {reverse between interviews with not applicable always at end}:

Completely
A great deal
Somewhat
Only a little
Not at all

If you were to call a General Practice, how happy or unhappy would you be for the receptionist to ask you questions and to signpost you to the person or service that is most appropriate for your needs?

Please select one answer

Scale {reverse between interviews}

Very happy
Quite happy
Quite unhappy
Very unhappy

How much do you agree or disagree with the statement:

If I were to call a General Practice, I would prefer a GP to determine which healthcare professional is most appropriate for me to see based on my needs

Scale (reverse between interviews):

Strongly agree
Agree
Neither agree nor disagree
Disagree
Strongly disagree

Now a few questions about how easy or difficult you find it talking to healthcare providers.

In this part of the questionnaire, the term healthcare providers means doctors, nurses, physiotherapists, dieticians, pharmacists, dentists, opticians and any other NHS health worker you seek advice or treatment from.

Thinking about your experiences with NHS healthcare providers in general, how often do you find each of the following difficult or easy?

Please select one answer per statement

Scale {reverse between interviews}

Always difficult
Usually difficult
Equally difficult and easy
Usually easy
Always easy

a. Discussing your health concerns with a professional so that they understand your health problems correctly
b. Asking questions of them until you understand what they are saying
c. Understanding the advice healthcare providers give you

Barriers/facilitators

In general, how difficult or easy is it for you to get an appointment at your General Practice?

An appointment could be by phone, by video (e.g. NearMe or Skype) or in person at the surgery.

Please select one answer

Very easy
Quite easy
Quite difficult
Very difficult

Thinking about your work, family and other commitments, how difficult or easy are the following for you generally when trying to use NHS services?

Please select one answer per row:

Being free to contact NHS services during opening hours

Being available for appointments (phone, video or in person) during opening hours

Scale {reverse between interviews}

Very easy
Quite easy
Quite difficult
Very difficult

Beyond general practice: dentistry and community pharmacy

Thinking of the last time you received treatment or advice from a dentist, how much do you agree or disagree with the following?

Please select all that apply

I was happy with the quality of the care/advice I received

I was given clear information about any treatment options, including costs

The costs of any treatment needed were reasonable

I trusted the information/advice the dentist gave me

Scale (reverse between interviews):

Strongly agree
Agree
Neither agree nor disagree
Disagree
Strongly disagree
Not applicable

Thinking about local/community pharmacies/chemists in your area or that you visit regularly, how much do you agree or disagree with the following statements…?

Please choose one answer

Statements:

My chemist/community pharmacy is an appropriate place to access treatment and support

I would recommend my chemist/community pharmacy to others for advice and support

Scale {reverse between interviews}

Strongly agree
Agree
Neither agree nor disagree
Disagree
Strongly disagree

Still thinking about local/community pharmacies/chemists in your area or that you visit regularly…

How confident or not are you that the staff in these pharmacies/chemists can provide you with health advice and care?

Please select one answer

Scale {reverse between interviews}
Very confident
Quite confident
Not very confident
Not at all confident

{end of questions}

Contact

Email: socialresearch@gov.scot

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