Satisfaction with GPs falls for residents in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, figures show

Patient satisfaction with GP services in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough fell this year, new figures show.

The survey carried out between January and April this year reveals 68.8 percent of patients in the NHS Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Integrated Care Board said they had a very good or fairly good overall experience with their GP service – down from 71.6 percent in 2022.

It was also a significant fall from pre-pandemic levels when the 2019 report found 84.3% were happy with their GP practice.

In 2023, 16.4% of patients said they had a fairly poor or very poor experience, while 14.8% patients said their experience was neither good nor bad.

The survey also showed:

- 52% said it was not easy to get through to someone at their GP practice on the phone.

- 35.7% said it was not easy to use their GP's website to look for information or access services

- 18.4% said their practice's receptionists were not helpful.

- 26.8% were dissatisfied with appointment times.

The Royal College of GPs said the numbers – which show a continuing national decline in patient satisfaction – portray an "over-stretched and over-burdened" service.

An NHS England spokesperson said: "While GP teams are experiencing record demand for their services – delivering half a million more appointments every week compared to before the pandemic, this survey has found that the majority of patients have a good overall experience at their GP practice."