GP Patient Survey at 20: Reflecting on 20 years of patient experience insight

Celebrating 20 years of the GP Patient Survey

For two decades, the GP Patient Survey has provided one of the most important sources of evidence on patients' experiences of primary care in England. Since its launch in 2006, the survey has helped policymakers, NHS organisations, researchers, GP practices and patient groups understand what matters most to patients and identify opportunities to improve services.

To mark this milestone, Ipsos and NHS England hosted a special anniversary event bringing together colleagues from across the health and care system to reflect on the survey's impact and discuss the future of patient experience measurement.

Insights from policy, practice, research and patient advocacy

The event featured contributions from speakers representing policy, practice, research and patient advocacy, including NHS England, National Voices, Integrated Care Boards, general practice and academia.

Presentations explored:

• How the GP Patient Survey has evolved over the past 20 years to remain relevant, robust and responsive to changing healthcare needs.
• How GPPS data is used nationally, regionally and locally to support policy development, service improvement and decision-making.
• The role of GPPS in advancing research on patient experience, access, quality and inequalities.
• Examples of how patient experience evidence has informed improvements across primary care.

Looking to the future

The event concluded with a panel discussion on the future of patient experience in primary care. Panellists reflected on lessons from two decades of GPPS and discussed future opportunities and challenges, including changing models of access, digital inclusion, health inequalities, and how patient feedback can continue to drive meaningful improvements in care.

A recurring theme throughout the discussion was the enduring importance of listening to patients and ensuring that robust evidence continues to inform policy, practice and service improvement across the NHS.

Event resources

Presentation slides from the event are available to download below.

You can also watch a recording of the panel discussion, The Future of Patient Experience in Primary Care, which explored how patient feedback and experience measurement may evolve over the next decade.

Download the presentation slides

Watch the panel discussion recording

Thank you to all of our speakers, panellists and attendees who helped make the event such a success and contributed to the discussion.

If you have any comments or questions, please feel free to contact us at [email protected].