The latest GP patient survey data shows a small increase in patients' satisfaction with access to GP surgeries.
The results of 530,174 surveys, completed between July and September this year, show that 81% were satisfied with surgery opening hours, compared with 78% of those surveyed between April 2010 and March 2011.
There was also a rise in the number who found it easy to contact the surgery by phone, up from 67% to 78%.
The vast majority (93%) found their appointment convenient, while 79% found the experience of making an appointment had been good. There were no comparable questions in the last survey.
Overall satisfaction with GPs remained similar, with 93% having trust and confidence in the GP they saw, compared with 94% last survey.
Over half said they had a preferred GP, and of these 42% reported that they always, or almost always, got to see them – a slight decline on the 48% who reported this last year. However, the proportion who saw their preferred doctor ‘a lot of the time' remained the same.
Last time 89% were satisfied with the overall care at surgery. This time patients were asked to rate their overall experience at surgery, and 88% said it had been good.
There was also no change in the numbers satisfied with access to GP out-of-hours services, with 79% saying it was easy to make phone contact.
