Dr Amanda Doyle: ‘GPs have led the way in transforming the NHS’

NHS national director for Primary Care and Community Services and former GP partner Dr Amanda Doyle on what’s driving better access and patient satisfaction in general practice, and why this is just the beginning

We are seeing real improvements in patients’ experience of accessing general practice alongside rising satisfaction levels – and that’s thanks to the hard work of GP teams across the country.

The latest ONS survey shows 74.2% of people found it easy to contact their GP practice – up from 60% less than a year ago (September 2024). And 73.6% rated their overall GP experience as good, up from 67.4% last year.

The last GP Patient Survey tells a similar story. More than half (51%) found it easy to contact their practice by phone (up from 48%), and 49% said the NHS App was easy to use up from 45%.

And it’s not just perception. General practice delivered 383.3 million appointments in the last 12 months – up from 375.7 million the year before. While June alone saw 31.4 million appointments – a record for that month and nearly a third higher than before the pandemic.

As a former GP partner of over 20 years, I know how much patients and the wider NHS rely on general practice working well and delivering day after day.

It is clear that GPs have been modernising, digitising, and transforming how services work.

You’ve led the way – adopting digital telephony, improving triage and care navigation, and offering more flexible options for contact and appointments.

And last month, the Government confirmed that 2,000 individual GPs have been recruited through the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme (ARRS). We’ve heard just how much this support has helped and it’s good to see it making a real impact in your day-to-day work

Together, this is making a real difference to patients: better access, better experience, and clear progress in the data. And its happening fast.

But there’s more to do. That’s why the NHS 10-Year Plan matters – it will help us adapt to a changing population and build a future-proof health service with general practice at its core.

Neighbourhood health is a big opportunity to move care closer to home, reduce duplication, and give local teams the tools to deliver more joined-up, efficient support for people.

In the plan we’re also cutting admin by rolling out ambient voice technology, digital triage, and a single patient record. These tools will reduce time spent on notes, letters, and manual data entry.

This is a 10-year plan because real change takes time.

The NHS is treating more patients than ever – driven by an ageing population, rising complexity in health conditions, greater mental health need, and inequality.

So we know the pressure you are under. And we’re behind you and working hard to make things better.

The good news is that the data shows the change has started – with steady, sustained improvements, practice by practice, across the country.

Dr Amanda Doyle is the NHS national director for Primary Care and Community Services