Picker responds to the GP Patient Survey 2025 results

Commenting on the publication of the GP Patient Survey (GPPS) 2025 results, Olli Potter, Policy and Public Affairs Manager at Picker, said:

“Overall, the GP Patient Survey (GPPS) results are moving in the right direction year-on-year. The proportion of people who had a good experience with their GP practice, pharmacy, and dental services have all increased since 2024. There are also early signs of a shift in patients using digital routes to contact their GP practice instead of calling: the percentage using practice websites or the NHS App has increased by more than a third. We can also see a shift towards community pharmacy, likely a result of the ‘Pharmacy First’ initiative.

“However, around a third of patients still report finding it ‘very’ or ‘fairly’ difficult to contact their GP practice whether via a phone call, the NHS App or their practice’s website. The results also highlight disparities in experience by ethnicity, socio-economic background, and for patients with multiple long term conditions. It is imperative that the changes outlined in the ten year plan for health are designed and implemented with patients from diverse background to ensure these inequalities are not widened as the health service is reformed. 

“The ten year plan for health acknowledged the slow progress on personalised care plans for people with long term conditions, which is again reflected in the today’s survey results. Less than one fifth of people with long-term conditions or illnesses reported having a personalised care plan – but of those that do, an overwhelming majority see them as beneficial. It is crucial that the plan’s target to expand the roll out of personalised care plans by 2027 is prioritised after many years of delay.”