Millions more GP appointments delivered in record year

GPs delivered more than 7 million more appointments in the past year, taking the total to a record 380 million, new data reveals.

© Nappy/Unsplash

© Nappy/Unsplash

The NHS figures show GP teams carried out 383.3m appointments in the past 12 months, compared to 375.7m in the previous year.

Figures for June 2025 also show practices delivered 31.4 million appointments, which is a record for June and 31.9% more than the same period pre-pandemic.

The data comes amid rising patient satisfaction, with ONS' experiences of NHS healthcare services in England revealing that 72.4% of people found contacting their GP practice easy – up from 60% less than a year ago (September 2024). Furthermore, 72.9% of people rated their overall GP experience as good, compared with 67.4% last year.

The latest GP Patient Survey also shows steady gains in public satisfaction: 53% found it easy to contact their practice by phone (up from 50%), and 49% found the NHS app easy to use – almost double the 25% figure from the previous year.

Amanda Doyle, NHS England national director for primary care and community services, said: ‘While services improve and patient satisfaction has started to rise, we know more needs to be done to improve access, which is why we remain committed to working with the government on delivering the 10-Year Plan to boost access and improve primary care services for patients.'

Health Minister, Ashley Dalton, said: ‘By cutting red tape, increasing capacity, and helping GPs spend less time filling out paperwork, 7m additional GP appointments were delivered in the past year - 31.4m appointments for June alone – meaning more patients getting time with their doctor and spending less time on a waiting list.

‘Through our 10-Year Health Plan we are shifting care from hospitals to community. Our Plan for Change will deliver Neighbourhood Health Services that will put GPs at the heart of delivering more personalised, proactive care in local areas when it is more convenient for patients.'

The Government announced last week that an extra 2,000 GPs have been recruited through the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme (ARRS).

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