11 July 2019
Patient Satisfaction Results Are 'Testament to the Incredible Efforts' of Primary Care Teams, Says College
Professor Helen Stokes-Lampard, Chair of the Royal College of GPs, has responded to the 2019 GP Patient Survey.
She said: "It is testament to the incredible efforts of GPs and their teams that patient satisfaction in general practice has remained so high – especially given the intense resource pressures currently facing our profession and the strenuous circumstances our colleagues are working under.
"The fact that 95% of patients say they have confidence and trust in the healthcare professional they saw, and 94% say their needs were met when they last visited their local practice, is something we, as a profession, should be very proud of.
"However, the knock-on effects of the pressures currently facing general practice are still clear, and patients are finding it increasingly difficult to access the services they need, when they need them, and this must be addressed as a matter of urgency.
"GPs are seeing more than a million patients a day across the UK, but this increase in patient demand is not being met with adequate levels of resourcing and staffing, leaving patients waiting longer for appointments and some GPs burnt out, which ultimately puts patient safety under threat.
"Today's results show how much general practice is valued, and rightly so, but also how important it is to protect our services and make sure that everyone, regardless of where they live, is guaranteed to get the care they need and deserve, every time they need it.
"That's why we need to see more resources and funding reaching the frontline in general practice, including effective implementation of the NHS Long-Term Plan, and more details about how the aspirations in the interim People Plan will be achieved through a clear, costed action plan, to ensure GPs and our teams can continue to deliver the best care possible to patients."
Further Information
RCGP Press office: 020 3188 7633/7574/7575
Out of hours: 0203 188 7659
press@rcgp.org.uk
Notes
The Royal College of General Practitioners is a network of more than 52,000 family doctors working to improve care for patients. We work to encourage and maintain the highest standards of general medical practice and act as the voice of GPs on education, training, research and clinical standards.