Our response to GP Patient Survey 2025
The GP Patient Survey 2025 gives patients the oportunity to share their experiences of primary care services, ranging from GPs to dentists. The results help these services understand what they are dong well and where they can improve.
“Primary Care delivers 90% of the interactions people have with the NHS. With public satisfaction in the NHS declining, improvements to how people access care from their GP, pharmacy, dentistry, and other primary care teams is therefore vital.
It’s promising that this year’s findings show modest increases in people’s overall experiences of GP, including an increase in the number of people given a choice of time, day or location for their most recent appointment, which we know from previous years’ results directly links to improvements in overall experience.
However, our recent research shows there is a gap between the choices people want and the ones they get. We’ve called for the GPPS to ask further questions on patient choice in future, to understand where there are choice gaps, inform service improvements, and make sure people can access appointments in a way that works for them."
On accessible communication
One of the key questions the survey looked at was accessible getting information in way people can understand - the first year the survey has ever asked this. Disappointingly, 50% didn’t know whether a record of how they prefer to communicate was made. One in ten never get the help they want to communicate.
Research from Healthwatch England and our feedback from local community groups show the urgency for health services to follow the NHS Accessible Information Standard (AIS). The AIS is underpinned by the Equality Act 10, which requires public bodies to make reasonable adjustments to ensure people with disabilities and other protected characteristics can get healthcare in a fair and equal way like the rest of the general population.
On dentistry
The survey also highlights how many people are finding it hard to get NHS dental appointments. Although satisfaction rates have increased to 70.8%, nearly 1 in 5 people reported poor experiences and a similar number were unable to access an appointment at all, either believing that they couldn't or choosing to go private.
Louise said, “This mirrors the stories people share with us as many continue to struggle access NHS dental appointments or afford dental fees.
“The proposals the Government has recently announced have the potential to ensure more people with the most severe problems get the care they need. However, we need a fundamental reform of NHS dentistry to fix ongoing access issues.”
Having your say
Your voice is helping NHS England and other services see where improvements need to be made.
If you're having trouble with accessing care or want to share your experiences, please get in touch with Healthwatch Brent.
