PATIENTS across Wales are being given the opportunity to rate accessing their GP in a National Survey launched by the Community Health Council.

The survey asks how easy it was to obtain an urgent appointment to booking yourself in for a routine appointment with your GP. It also asks patients to indicate how long they waited to be seen once they had an appointment.

Interim CHC Board director Cathy O'Sullivan said: "The launch of this survey is very timely following the recent announcement by Professor Mark Drakeford Minister for Health & Social Services of the reduction of the administrative burden for GPs in their new contract for Wales. It is essential that we ask patients for their experiences of getting urgent appointments with their GP to monitor the impact on patients following the changes in the GP contract."

Community Health Councils (CHCs) across Wales have concerns about GP appointment systems and timely access for patients given that approximately 90 per cent of contacts with the NHS happen in Primary Care.

The survey will run for two months and anyone who has to see their GP is urged to complete the online survey.

The survey can be found by accessing www.communityhealthcoucils.org.uk