More admin staff needed to help tackle GP access issues

The latest GP Patient Survey, which heard from 760,000 patients about their experience of GP practices, has found that overall satisfaction with GP services is at 71.3%, down from 72.4% in 2022 and 83% in 2021.

One of the critical issues highlighted by the survey is a significant rise in the number of people saying they have had problems accessing their GP. Only 54% reported a good experience making an appointment (down from 56% last year).

Healthwatch England's response

Responding to the findings, Louise Ansari, Chief Executive of patient champion Healthwatch England said:

"Today's findings mirror what we've been hearing from people across the country, with negative feedback on access to GP services remaining higher than before the pandemic.

"People have told us how they struggle to book appointments via phone systems, as well as challenges they face navigating online booking and triage systems, including online systems being turned off out of hours.

"And while some people find telephone or online appointments convenient, others say they are rarely asked about their preference, for example for a face-to-face appointment.

"Those affected are often the most vulnerable in our society, such as older people, disabled people, those on low incomes, or individuals whose first language isn't English.

"We know that GP teams across the country are working hard to see and treat more patients, while facing workforce and workload challenges. And though the government and NHS England have now published a long-term workforce plan and a plan for recovering primary care services, both will take time to implement.

"To address the immediate challenges, teams must be supported to quickly hire and train more admin staff such as care navigators to improve patient choice and experience. And steps should be taken by decision-makers to make sure that cost is never a barrier for anyone needing to access care, including making GP telephone numbers free to call."

Problems accessing the right support

Last year’s results saw a big drop in satisfaction, and that trend has continued this year, albeit more slowly, with a fall in people saying they had a good experience booking a GP appointment. The research found:

• Only 54% reported a good experience making an appointment (down from 56% last year and 71% in 2021).
• 72% were satisfied with the appointment they were offered (this is the same as last year).
• 50% had an appointment at a time they wanted or sooner (down from 51%).
• 50% found it easy to get through to the practice by phone (down from 53%).
• 28% avoided making an appointment as they found it too difficult (up from 26%).

Are patients being offered a choice?

Compared with last year’s results, there has been a small rise in the proportion of people offered a choice of time or day for their appointment. However, two thirds of respondents were still not given this option and four in ten respondents were offered no choices at all.

The survey also found:

• 20% were offered a choice of appointment type, for example, in person, over the phone or via video (down from 22%).
• 7% were offered a choice of healthcare professional (this is the same as last year).

What will help improve GP access?

General Practice is often the first place people turn to for help with their health.

This survey highlights that over nine in ten respondents had confidence and trust in their GP team, and that their needs were met after an appointment. But unfortunately, today’s findings echo what people tell Healthwatch across the country, that it can be difficult to get an appointment in the first place.

We know that GP teams have worked immensely hard in the face of huge challenges in the last few years. And the government and NHS have put steps in place to increase staff numbers and help GP services to recover from the pandemic.

But in the short term, we must see more support to help people access the right appointments for them. Healthwatch are calling for:

• Steps to be taken to make GP telephone numbers free to call, so that cost is never a barrier to accessing NHS support.
• People’s personal communication needs to be met.
• Patients to be given more choice over the type of appointment they get.
• Support given to GP teams to hire and train more care navigators who can speak to patients about their communication and appointment preferences and offer patients more choice.
• Support for teams to offer longer appointments so staff and patients have enough time to discuss conditions and next steps.