Gemini 3.5 Flash Lite: How Ashgrove patients find online-first booking

Scorecard

The analysis

Findings

1. Overall satisfaction with the booking process has dropped substantially since the transition to online-first, falling from 71% under the previous paper-based system to 50.8% among recent triers.

   High confidenceBase 549

   Q2 satisfaction (net satisfied = 50.8%, base = 549) compared to last year's 71% baseline (base = 412).

2. Satisfaction is sharply skewed by age, with older cohorts experiencing very high dissatisfaction: 67.7% of 65-to-74s and 73.9% of those aged 75 or over are dissatisfied or neutral, with net satisfaction falling to 17.8% and 13.0% respectively.

   Medium confidenceBase 68

   Q2 satisfaction by age: 65-to-74 (base = 45, net satisfied 17.8%), 75 or over (base = 23, net satisfied 13.0%).

3. A substantial barrier to care exists, with nearly a quarter of all respondents (24.3%) reporting a time in the last three months when they needed an appointment but did not try to book.

   High confidenceBase 886

   Q4 ('Yes' = 24.3%, base = 886), scaling to an estimated 4,038 registered adults across the practice.

4. The primary reasons for not booking are expected delays in practice replies (43.7%) and low expectation of securing an appointment (28.8%), alongside digital exclusion and usability barriers for older and vulnerable patients.

   High confidenceBase 215

   Q5 among those who did not try to book (base = 215): expected wait too long 43.7%, did not think I would get an appointment 28.8%, online form difficult 16.7%, not confident online 9.3%.

5. Patient preference is highly divided: 46.2% prefer the online form overall, but 40.7% prefer the phone, and preference shifts decisively toward the phone and in-person options among older age groups, those with disabilities, and those requiring an interpreter.

   High confidenceBase 886

   Q6: 72.7% of 75+ prefer phone, 21.2% prefer in-person; 50.0% of disabled patients prefer phone, 15.7% in-person; 61.5% of interpreter users prefer in-person, 23.1% phone.

Open-text themes it coded

Request for phone booking 89Slow response times from practice 41Form too long, complex or repetitive 22Desire for continuity of care / same doctor 15Accessibility, disability and language barriers 24

The survey it planned

1 screening question and 10 questions, as the model wrote them.

1. SQ1

   Are you currently registered as a patient at Ashgrove Medical Group and aged 18 or over?

   One answer
   • Yes
   • No

   Continues if Yes

2. Q1

   Which age group are you in?

   One answer
   • 18 to 44
   • 45 to 64
   • 65 to 74
   • 75 or over
3. Q2

   Do you have a physical or mental health condition or disability that lasts or is expected to last 12 months or more, which affects your ability to use online services?

   One answer
   • Yes
   • No
   • Prefer not to say
4. Q3

   How well do you speak and understand English?

   One answer
   • Very well
   • Well
   • Not well
   • Not at all
5. Q4

   Have you tried to book an appointment at Ashgrove Medical Group since April 2026?

   One answer
   • Yes
   • No
6. Q5

   Overall, how satisfied or dissatisfied are you with the way appointments have been booked since April 2026?

   Scale

   Scale 1-5: Very dissatisfied to Very satisfied

   Routing Shown only if Q4 is: Yes

7. Q6

   Have you ever needed to book an appointment since April 2026, but decided not to because of the booking process?

   One answer
   • Yes, on multiple occasions
   • Yes, on one occasion
   • No, never
8. Q7

   What was the main reason you were put off booking an appointment? (Select all that apply)

   Any that apply
   • Found the online request form too difficult to complete
   • Did not have access to the internet or a suitable device
   • Did not want to wait for a text or phone call back
   • Found it too difficult to get through on the phone instead
   • Worried about my privacy or data security online
   • Prefered to wait and see if symptoms cleared up on their own
   • Other reason

   Routing Shown only if Q6 is: Yes, on multiple occasions; Yes, on one occasion

   Judges: ambiguous

   The question asks for the main reason but instructs respondents to select all that apply. Answers could represent either the principal reason or every applicable reason.

   It asks for the 'main reason' (one answer) but says 'Select all that apply', so respondents cannot tell whether to pick one reason or several. The results cannot be read either as a main reason or as all reasons.

9. Q8

   Which of the following booking arrangements would you prefer the practice to use?

   One answer
   • Keep online-first booking as it is now
   • Restore a morning phone booking line for every patient
   • Keep online-first for most, but add a dedicated phone line and in-person help at reception specifically for patients who need them (such as over-75s, patients with a disability, and patients with limited English)
   • Not sure / No preference
10. Q9

    Which of the following would make it easier for you to book an appointment? (Select all that apply)

    Any that apply
    • Simpler or shorter online request forms
    • Clearer instructions on how to use the online system
    • Help from practice staff over the phone or at reception
    • Being able to book directly into a calendar slot online without filling in a triage form
    • A dedicated phone line for older patients, disabled patients, or those requiring translation
    • Nothing, I find the current system works well
    • Other
11. Q10

    Is there anything else you would like to tell us about booking appointments at Ashgrove Medical Group?

    Open text