NHS England credits online access as GP patient satisfaction rises

Patient satisfaction with GP practices has risen in the past year across a range of measures, according to data published by NHS England.

More than three quarters of patients (76.7%) rated their overall experience of their GP practice as good last year – up from 73.9% in the 2025 report.

NHS England linked the increase in satisfaction to the expanding modes of contacting practices, including online access.

The annual Patient Survey found that 79.2% of respondents used online services in the last year, compared with 69.0% in 2024, while almost a third (30.8%) contacted their practice online, up from 22.4% in 2025 and 16.9% in 2024.

Overall, 72.6% of those surveyed said their overall experience of contacting their GP practice was good – up from 69.6% in 2025.

Patients continue to have extremely high levels of satisfaction with the care they receive with 92.7% reporting they had trust and confidence in the healthcare professional they saw at their last appointment, compared with 92.3% the previous year.

The data showed some regional variation – from around 70% overall satisfaction to a high of 81%.

A breakdown also showed older people were more likely to be satisfied with the experience of their GP practice, with between 83% and 86% of the over 65s rating it as good.

But variation in satisfaction remains among different ethnic groups and by deprivation, the figures showed.

In all, 73.7% of patients from the fifth most deprived areas had a good experience of their GP practice compared with 79.5% of the least deprived.

Earlier this year, the British Social Attitudes Survey found public satisfaction with GP services has risen over the past year and is at the highest level since 2021. 

Patient satisfaction measured in the NHS GP Patient Survey has been rising steadily following a six-year low reported in 2023.

Dr Amanda Doyle, national director for primary care at NHS England, said: ‘Thanks to the hard work of GPs and their teams, we have seen another positive improvement in patients’ experience of accessing general practice, continuing the upward trend we have seen over the past two years.

She added that practices have introduced changes to make access easier and more convenient, from improving phone systems to expanding online services and use of the NHS App.

‘These changes are giving patients more choice in how they access care and are making a real difference to their experience.’

Beccy Baird, senior fellow at The King’s Fund, noted that the improvements in patient satisfaction had happened despite the 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.

 She noted that 85% of patients said reception had admin staff had been 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.’

Since 1 October last year, GP practices have been contractually obliged to keep online consultation tools open throughout core hours, sparking a dispute between the BMA and Government.

This week, the BMA urged GPs to write to their MP about imposed contract terms, alongside other collective actions as part of the dispute.