The latest Ipsos GP Patient Survey (GPPS) results reveal the majority of patients reported a good overall experience:

• 75.4% of their GP practice overall - up 1.5 percentage points from 2024
• 69.6% of contacting their GP practice the last time they tried - up 2.3 percentage points from 2024
• 57.0% of NHS services when their practice was closed - up 1.1 percentage points from 2024
• 88.0% of pharmacy services - up +1.2 percentage points from 2024
• 70.8% of NHS dental services - up +1.6 percentage points from 2024.

In addition, the research shows patients' experience of contacting GP practices has improved across all modes:

• 52.9% said it was easy to contact their GP practice on the phone, compared with 49.7% in 2024
• 51.2% also said it was easy to contact their GP practice using their practice website, compared with 47.9% in 2024
• 49.0% said it was easy to contact their GP practice using the NHS App, compared with 44.8% in 2024.

The Ipsos data shows patient experience during their last appointment remains positive compared with 2024:

• 92.5% said they had confidence and trust in the healthcare professional they saw or spoke to, compared with 92.3% in 2024
• 89.9% said their needs were met, this is the same as 2024
• 85.6% said the healthcare professional was good at treating them with care and concern, compared with 85.3% in 2024.

In response, Nuffield Trust director of research and policy Dr Becks Fisher, said: ‘After years of decline, it is encouraging that we're starting to see the first signs of improvement in overall experience of GP practices. The government has promised to "end the 8am scramble" for GP appointments and has already taken some steps to get general practice back on track. While we're yet to feel the full effects of these measures, things are moving in the right direction. Continuing to boost the number of GPs will be crucial to sustaining advances in patient satisfaction.

‘However, poorer people and people from some minoritised ethnic groups are still reporting worse experience with their GP practices. We hope that government plans to review the unfair GP funding formula which disadvantages the poorest areas will eventually start to make a difference to this.'

‘It's good that people's experience of NHS dental services has improved slightly, but we know that the wider problem facing the public is with actually getting access to an NHS dentist in the first place, with widespread dental "deserts" across the country.'

Ruth Rankine, primary care director at the NHS Confederation, said: ‘This survey shows some really positive improvements since last year and reflects the hard work from primary care to deliver care for patients at the same time as modernising their approach.

‘Despite the continued rise in demand for primary care, it is good to see that more patients are reporting a good overall experience including the use of technology in accessing care. These results confirm the value of primary care and reaffirm the importance of its role in leading and delivering neighbourhood health services.'