Satisfaction with GPs falls in Nottinghamshire

The Royal College of GPs said the numbers – which show a continuing national decline in patient satisfaction – portray an “over-stretched and over-burdened” service.

The survey, carried out between January and April, reveals 71.8 per cent of patients in the NHS Nottinghamshire Integrated Care Board area said they had a very good or fairly good overall experience with their GP service, down from 74.6 per cent 2022.

It was also a significant fall from pre-coronavirus pandemic levels when the 2019 report found 84.2 per cent were happy with their GP practice.

In 2023, 13.4 per cent of patients said they had a fairly poor or very poor experience.

Dr Michael Mulholland, RCGP honorary secretary, said the survey finding reflect an “over-stretched and over-burdened” service where staff are providing a positive experience for patients despite intense workloads and pressures.

He said: “It is always difficult to hear when patients report unsatisfactory experiences or have difficulties accessing our services. Yet we do share their frustrations – GPs and our teams want to be able to deliver safe, timely and appropriate care for their patients.”

Dr Mulholland said the service needs to see significant investment alongside curbing the rate of GP turnover and bolstering the workforce with young GPs.

Nationally, 71.3 per cent of patients said they had a good overall experience with their GP practice this year, a significant fall from 82.9 per cent pre-pandemic.

Meanwhile, the proportion of patients who reported a poor experience has risen from 6.5 per cent in 2019 to 14.2 per cent this year.

An NHS England spokesman said: "While GP teams are experiencing record demand for their services, delivering half a million more appointments every week compared with before the pandemic, this survey has found the majority of patients have a good overall experience at their GP practice.”

At Nottinghamshire GP practices in 2023:

• 48.8 per cent said it was not easy to get through to someone at their GP practice on the phone;
• 34.8 per cent said it was not easy to use their GP's website to look for information or access services;
• 16.9 per cent said their practice's receptionists were not helpful;
• 26.5 per cent were dissatisfied with appointment times.