Research into ‘good access’ in community pharmacy, NHS dentistry and allied health professional services

The Primary Care Model for Wales is the agreed approach to achieving the vision in A Healthier Wales: long term plan for health and social care. The rationale for this study was rooted in the 2021 to 2026 Programme for Government commitment to “Deliver better access to doctors, nurses, dentists and other health professionals”. It builds on a 2019 study commissioned by Welsh Government on access to primary care services delivered in a General Practice setting, which identified a knowledge gap in relation to access to other areas of primary care. Research was undertaken to understand what ‘good access’ means to the general public in relation to the following primary care services; Community Pharmacy, NHS Dentistry and Allied Health Professional services.

The final report presents findings in relation to the following objectives:

• Identify key barriers and facilitators to accessing primary care across Community Pharmacy, NHS Dentistry and Allied Health Professionals.
• Explore what good access means to people and the expectations of what good access looks like in Community Pharmacy, NHS Dentistry and Allied Health Professionals.
• Explore perceptions of phone first and telephone consultations / triage.
• Explore perceptions of face-to-face appointments vs use of technology.
• Identify awareness of available options such as; NHS 111, Common Ailment Scheme; My health online and the NHS Wales App.

The report makes a series of recommendations for the three areas of primary care to consider to make improvements to access.