Patients are still struggling to get appointments with GPs quickly enough and at times that suit them, according to a major national survey of primary care services that questioned more than 69,000 people.
A quarter of people are still having to wait more than two days to get an appointment with a GP – the national target – found the survey by the NHS watchdog the Healthcare Commission.
Once people get to see a doctor, they are increasingly happy with the service. Around three quarters (74%) said the main reason they went to see their GP was dealt with “completely” to their satisfaction – up from 73% in the Commission’s 2005 survey.
As many as 76% of patients said they felt they were “definitely” given enough time to discuss their problem – up from 74% in 2005 – and they were positive about doctors’ personal skills, shown by 93% who said they were treated with respect and dignity “all of the time”, an increase from 92% in 2005.
However, 25% of people said surgery hours were inconvenient (38% said so in the age group 16-35) and more than 50% of people said they had problems getting through to their surgery on the phone.
There was variety in the speed of appointments across the country as in the highest scoring trust, 89% of people said that they were seen by a GP within two working days, but in the lowest scoring trust, this figure was just 43%.
Other findings included:
- 43% of those people referred to a specialist said they were offered a choice of where they were referred to, compared with 26% in 2005
- 26% of people said they do not see a dentist once every two years, and in several trusts this was as high as 43%
- 43% of those who wanted health promotion advice said they did not get it on diet and 44% did not get it on exercise.
Anna Walker, the Commission’s chief executive, said: “This survey shows the high regard that many patients have for the services at their GP surgeries.
“However, people clearly do want to be able to see a GP more easily and at more convenient times. It was striking that some people could not get an appointment within two days and that there are variations around the country.
“It is clear that more people want to be able to book appointments several days ahead and that many want more flexible opening hours. In addition, a significant proportion of patients are not being offered a choice of hospital. These are issues that a modern 21st century health service really ought to be able to address.”
Dr Richard Vautrey, deputy chairman of the BMA’s GPs Committee, said: “GPs value the feedback they get from patients and while it’s not possible to please everyone all of the time when resources are finite, it is good to see that overall patients are very satisfied with the service they get from their GP surgery.
“With a limited number of appointments in any one day, practices try very hard to strike a balance between making sure patients who want to book ahead are able to do so while still ensuring there are enough empty appointments for emergencies.
“However, there are variations with access across the country and we want all patients to receive a good service from their GP."