We’ve been working with colleagues at the University of Oxford, Queen Mary University London and the University of Manchester to better understand how GP practices can help patients get the support they need.

To help co-design future tools, we ran a workshop at our local community centre so that patients could share their experiences and help the research team better understand what matters to them.

We shared two approaches for getting support; one looking at a potential booklet that takes people through the steps of getting help and sharing a little about what the GP practice needs from each patient along the journey.

These booklets exposed a range of challenges, from the diversity of options that patients have when they are unwell (‘doctor google’, ‘pharmacy’, NHS online, 111, and their practice website), to the different support needed for chronic conditions and the different skills that people have when it comes to communicating using digital tech.

“Yes! But, we need to make sure the person who is doing the triage is a ‘trained’ person and should be away from the main reception”

“Avoid saying ‘quickly’ as nothing is quick! Might be better saying, "we need to ask more information before deciding who is the best person to see you…”

Our second approach built on animated storytelling and asked patients to share their experience and any hints, tips or stories that could help people like them get support when they need it. 

“There’s a burden on patient’s to ‘self-advocate’ – use the right language, prove themselves ‘reasonable’ – this harms some groups (BAME, English as a second language, young women). It is often helpful to use the phone to ‘present’ yourself right, but many are at a disadvantage.’

We’ll now be working with the research team to refine the flow and the language before developing final outputs which will be shared with the GP practices that have been part of the research. The resources will be designed so they can be adapted by other practices.

Do get in touch if you’d be interested in using design to create change through health, science, environment or education.