Responding to the annual GP Patient Survey published by NHS England, Beccy Baird, Senior Fellow at The King’s Fund, said:
‘These results clearly show the front door of the NHS is becoming easier to open. Patients are starting to feel the benefits of improvements being made despite significant pressures facing services, as GPs and practice teams continue to deliver around 30 million appointments every month.
‘Encouragingly, the survey shows that many patients report a positive experience when contacting their GP practice, with 73% saying their experience of contacting the last time they tried was good. This reflects the vital role that effective administration plays in helping people get the information they need to access care.
‘A range of improvements are helping to make this easier, including the rollout of the NHS App and online consultation tools. Reception and admin staff are a crucial part of this picture, with 85% of patients saying that they are helpful which is a rise on previous years.
‘But the survey of more than 650,000 people also highlights persistent inequalities in patient experience. The NHS was founded on the principle that care should be available based on need, not postcode, yet too many people in more deprived communities continue to report worse experiences of care. Closing that gap is a moral imperative.
‘This direction of travel is absolutely the right one. Staying on this path will mean continuing to make it easier for patients to access care while ensuring when they do make it through the front door, they get the support and treatment they need.’
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