Britons want easier access to appointments and shorter waiting times to improve GP experience

New polling by Ipsos, taken August 23-26, examines attitudes towards the current state of the NHS and perceptions of GPs.

Britons are generally not confident that they would be seen quickly in A&E (62%), that they could book a GP appointment quickly at a time that suits them (61%), nor that an ambulance would arrive quickly if they needed one (55%). 

When asked about what improvements they would like to see at their GP practice, the area the public would most like to be improved is it being easier to make a face-to-face appointment (56%). This is followed closely by shorter waiting times for an appointment (53%) and making it easier to book an appointment (52%).

Respondents were asked about the last time they contacted their GP practice to make an in-person appointment. Two in five (43%) say they first had to tell the receptionist about their issue, 31% first had a telephone consultation with their GP, and 22% filled out a form about their condition online via the practice website. A further 19% saw another member of staff that was not a GP, and 16% said they filled out a form about their condition via the NHS app. 

Around half (51%) of Britons say that, on their last visit to their GP, they were able to speak about either everything (21%) or most things (30%) that they wanted to talk about. Older people are particularly likely to say they were able to speak about everything or most things they wanted to (54%, compared with 47% of people aged 16-34).

When asked about ideal appointment length, one-third (34%) think that a standard appointment at their GP practice should be 15 minutes. 22% believe that it should be 10 minutes (which is the current standard, although participants were not told this). 21% say it should be extended to 20 minutes, with a further 12% saying that half an hour is an ideal length. 

Commenting on the findings, Kate Duxbury, Ipsos Research Director, Health and Social Care said:

We know that the public recognise that GP practices are under pressure, and this new polling shows the impact on Britons. It shows a lack of confidence in their ability to get a GP appointment quickly at a time that suits them, and a desire for improvements in how easy it is to get a face-to-face appointment, waiting times, and how easy it is to book an appointment. Despite this, around half say they were able to cover everything or most things they wanted to last time they saw or spoke to a healthcare professional at their GP practice.

Technical Note

Ipsos interviewed a representative sample of 1,094 adults aged 16-75 across Great Britain. Polling was conducted online between 23-26 August 2024. Data are weighted to match the profile of the population. All polls are subject to a wide range of potential sources of error.