Our response to GP Patient Survey 2025

More choice in appointments

The 2025 GP Patient Survey shows that more patients are being offered a choice when booking GP appointments whether that’s the time, day or location. We know this choice makes a big difference to how satisfied you feel with your care.

Responding to the results of the GPPS 2025, Lousie Ansari, Healthwatch England Chief Executive, said: 

“Primary Care delivers 90% of the interactions people have with the NHS. With public satisfaction in the NHS declining, improvements to how people access care from their GP, pharmacy, dentistry, and other primary care teams is therefore vital.

It’s promising that this year’s findings show modest increases in people’s overall experiences of GP, including an increase in the number of people given a choice of time, day or location for their most recent appointment, which we know from previous years’ results directly links to improvements in overall experience." 
 

On accessible communication

For the first time, the survey asked about accessible communication and the results are worrying. Two-thirds of people with communication needs were not asked how they prefer to receive information. Half were unaware if their preferences were recorded, and 1 in 10 shared they did not get the support they need.

Louise Ansari continued to say:

“But our recent research shows there’s still a gap between the choices people want and the ones they actually get.

That’s why we’ve asked the GP Patient Survey to include more questions in future. This will help uncover where those gaps are, improve services, and ensure people can access care in a way that works for them.”

Dentistry

The survey also highlights how many people are still finding it hard to get NHS dental appointments. Although overall satisfaction has risen slightly to 70.8%, nearly 1 in 5 people said they had poor experiences. A similar number could not get an appointment at all, and many did not try either assuming none were available or turning to private options.

“This mirrors the stories people share with us,” said Louise. “Many continue to struggle to access NHS dental appointments or afford dental fees.”

The government’s recent proposals could help those with the most severe dental issues, but we believe long-term reform is still urgently needed to make dental care fair and accessible for all. We’re urging NHS England to lead that reform and ensure more people can get the care they need.

Looking ahead together

We know your feedback makes a difference. Thanks to everyone who took part in the survey, your voice is helping NHS England and local services see where change is most needed. We’ll keep pushing for better access, fairer communication, and real reform in NHS dentistry.

If you’ve had trouble getting care or want to share your experience, get in touch with Healthwatch Kensington and Chelsea. Together, we can make health and care services work better for everyone.