Quality and outcomes framework guidance:

Summary of indicators - patient experience domain

2011/12

PE 1 Length of Consultations - 33 points
The length of routine booked appointments with the doctors in the practice is not less than 10 minutes. (If the practice routinely sees extras during booked surgeries, then the average booked consultation length should allow for the average number of extras seen in a surgery session. If the extras are seen at the end, then it is not necessary to make this adjustment).

For practices with only an open surgery system, the average face –to face time spent by the GP with the patient is at least 8 minutes.

Practices that routinely operate a mixed economy of booked and open surgeries should report on both criteria.