Nearly a quarter of a million people in Northern Ireland are to be given the chance to say just what they think of their GP.
Health minister Michael McGimpsey today launched a survey seeking the views of patients' experiences of general practitioner services.
The GP patient experience survey -
Your Doctor, Your Experience, Your Say - will measure the quality of services patients receive and provide greater public accountability to delivering services that better meet the needs of patients, he said.
The questionnaire will be issued to around 241,000 people picked at random during the first quarter of next year.
Taking part will be voluntary and responses confidential to questions about experiences of booking appointments, treatment received from the GP and satisfaction with opening hours.
"Patients are at the heart of everything we do. It is vitally important that the services we provide meet their needs and expectations. The survey will give us feedback on how GP services are performing and crucially help us plan to meet future healthcare needs," Mr McGimpsey said.
For the vast majority of patients, the first point of contact with health and social care was when they went to see their local GP and access to services was a high priority, said the minister.
"GP practices are at the forefront of delivering frontline care. They develop partnerships with patients, enabling them to remain healthy and in particular, helping those who suffer from long term illness to manage their condition," added Mr McGimpsey.
PA