SOUTHAMPTON residents are, on average, less happy with their GP surgery than they were last year, figures have revealed.

Overall patient satisfaction levels for surgeries across the city have seen a small drop since 2018, a new survey has found.

And, overall, the city remains below the national average when it comes to how happy patients are about their GPs.

But while overall happiness levels dropped to 77 per cent for the city, below the national average of 83 per cent, there were some individual successes.

Lordshill Health Centre remained the city’s most well-liked surgery, with a patient satisfaction rating of 95 per cent – the same as last year.

They were joint with Hill Lane Surgery, which also retained its 95 per cent rating.

Meanwhile, Stoneham Lane Surgery saw its satisfaction rating jump from 81 per cent to 93 per cent.

At the other end, Bath Lodge Practice, in Bitterne, continued to struggle, dropping from 57 per cent last year to 51 per cent this year, as did Chessel Practice, in Sholing, which went from 57 per cent to 51 per cent.

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It comes as the two practices put forward plans, set to be discussed this month, to merge – a move which could affect 10,328 registered patients at Bath Lodge.

A spokesperson for NHS Southampton City Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) said: “We are committed to ensuring services in Southampton are as good as they can be.

“We are pleased to see there has been some improvement on last year on almost all of the questions for Southampton GP practices. “

Councillor Dave Shields, Southampton’s City Council Cabinet Member for Healthier and Safer City, added that while the overall figure was a “concern”, he praised the practices which showed improvement.

Outside of Southampton, residents in the region of the NHS West Hampshire CCG, which covers areas such as Eastleigh, Totton and Romsey, were, overall, the happiest with their GP Surgeries.

The average overall satisfaction for GPs in the area was 87 per cent, with the New Forest Medical Group, at Brockenhurst, and Alma Road Surgery, in Romsey, finishing top with a 96 per cent rating.

Dr Sarah Schofield, Chairman of NHS West Hampshire CCG, said: "We are delighted that 87 per cent of our residents have rated their GP practices as Good or Very Good.

“This is above the national average and we will continue to work with our Primary Care Networks to share best practice across West Hampshire.”

Eastleigh MP, Mims Davies, praised the CCG’s efforts.

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She said: “Its really good news West Hampshire CCG is rated above the national average for GP satisfaction ratings.”

The residents least happy with their GPs overall however were those in the area of the Fareham and Gosport CCG.

The average overall satisfaction for surgeries in the area was 75 per cent – below Southampton and the national average.

Fareham MP Suella Braverman described the result as “disappointing” but praised the work of staff at surgeries in the area.

Dr David Chilvers, clinical chair of the NHS Fareham and Gosport CCG, said recruitment issues were to blame at some surgeries.

He added: “GP practices continue to work collaboratively in networks to pool skills and resources. This will help provide better access to appointments.”

The results were published as part of NHS England’s annual GP Patient Survey, conducted by Ipsos Mori, in which more than 760,000 took part.

The full list of surgeries in our area:

WEST MEON SURGERY 99%

WISTARIA & MILFORD SURGERIES 96%

NEW FOREST MEDICAL GROUP 96%

ALMA ROAD SURGERY (Romsey) 96%

CHARLTON HILL SURGERY 95%

LORDSHILL HEALTH CENTRE 95%

HILL LANE SURGERY 95%

TESTVALE SURGERY 95%

ST MARY’S SURGERY (Andover) 95%

ALRESFORD SURGERY 95%

NORTH BADDESLEY SURGERY 94%

WEST END ROAD SURGERY 94%

TWIN OAKS MEDICAL CENTRE 94%

WICKHAM SURGERY 94%

TOTTON HEALTH CENTRE 93%

BARTON WEBB-PEPLOE PARTNERSHIP 93%

THE WATERCRESS MEDICAL GROUP 93%

STONEHAM LANE SURGERY 93%

PORTCHESTER PRACTICE 93%

FORESTSIDE MEDICAL PRACTICE 92%

STOCKBRIDGE SURGERY 92%

LYNDHURST SURGERY 92%

FOREST GATE SURGERY 92%

CORNERWAYS MEDICAL CENTRE 92%

WATERFRONT AND SOLENT SURGERY 92%

NEW MILTON HEALTH CENTRE 92%

ST PAUL’S SURGERY 91%

BRIDGEMARY MEDICAL CENTRE 91%

CHAWTON HOUSE SURGERY 91%

BISHOPS WALTHAM SURGERY 91%

WALNUT TREE SURGERY 91%

MULBERRY HOUSE SURGERY 90%

CHEVIOT ROAD SURGERY 90%

RAYMOND ROAD SURGERY 89%

BOYATT WOOD SURGERY 89%

SHEPHERDS SPRING MEDICAL CENTRE 89%

ST CLEMENTS PARTNERSHIP 89%

BURGESS ROAD SURGERY 88%

ST. ANDREW’S SURGERY 88%

TWYFORD SURGERY 88%

BLACKTHORN HEALTH CENTRE 88%

ATHERLEY HOUSE SURGERY 87%

WEST END SURGERY 86%

BURSLEDON SURGERY 86%

THE ARNEWOOD PRACTICE MILTON MEDICAL CEN 85%

WHITCHURCH SURGERY 85%

BROCKHURST MEDICAL CENTRE 85%

GUDGEHEATH LANE SURGERY 85%

RINGWOOD MEDICAL CENTRE 84%

MANOR WAY SURGERY 84%

UNIVERSITY HEALTH SERVICE 84%

PARK SURGERY 84%

GRATTON SURGERY 84%

HIGHFIELD HEALTH 83%

STOKEWOOD SURGERY 83%

FORDINGBRIDGE SURGERY 83%

BURY ROAD SURGERY 82%

STUBBINGTON MEDICAL PRACTICE 82%

ST. PETERS SURGERY 82%

OLD FIRE STATION SURGERY 82%

RED AND GREEN PRACTICE 82%

GOSPORT MEDICAL CENTRE 82%

ABBEYWELL SURGERY 81%

ROWNER HEALTH CENTRE 80%

THE SHIRLEY HEALTH PARTNERSHIP 80%

THE ANDOVER HEALTH CENTRE MEDICAL PRACT 80%

LOCKSWOOD SURGERY 80%

HEDGE END MEDICAL CENTRE 80%

WESTLANDS MEDICAL CENTRE 80%

ADELAIDE MEDICAL CENTRE 79%

WOOLSTON LODGE SURGERY 79%

FRIARSGATE PRACTICE 79%

CENTRE PRACTICE 79%

TOWNHILL SURGERY 79%

PARKSIDE PRACTICE 78%

VICTOR STREET SURGERY 77%

THE FRYERN SURGERY 76%

SOLENT GP SURGERY 76%

SOLENT VIEW MEDICAL PRACTICE 75%

JUBILEE SURGERY 74%

ALMA ROAD SURGERY 74%

BROOK HOUSE SURGERY 74%

BROOK LANE SURGERY 73%

ARCHERS PRACTICE 72%

ALDERMOOR SURGERY 68%

THE HIGHLANDS PRACTICE 67%

CHESSEL PRACTICE 63%

ST. MARY’S SURGERY 61%

THE WHITELEY SURGERY 60%

THE WILLOW GROUP 59%

LIVING WELL PARTNERSHIP 58%

BATH LODGE PRACTICE 51%

ST LUKES SURGERY 39% (Hedge End)