Access to GP appointments continues to be the public’s main priority for the NHS, according to a new poll by The Health Foundation.
Almost two fifths of survey respondents (39%) said that access was their primary concern, with decreasing A&E waiting times (34%), and improving working conditions to reduce the number of staff leaving the NHS (29%) coming in just behind.
The survey also revealed that bringing down hospital waiting lists ranked only fifth in the public’s priorities.
It comes as hospital waiting lists have increased for the second month in a row.
The poll, which was conducted in May and received over 2,000 respondents, found that patients were increasingly worried about the pressures that GPs are under.
In all, 82% of respondents said they were concerned about the level of pressure that GP practices are facing. This is the highest figure on record – up from 78% in 2024, and 73% in 2022.
According to the poll, the biggest threats that people believe their GP practice face are: not enough doctors (41%), pressure put on by an ageing population (29%), and lack of funding (27%).
Commenting on the survey’s’ findings, RCGP chair Professor Kamilla Hawthorne said that it was ‘vital’ that the Government recognised the public’s concern about access to general practice.
She said: ‘Today’s poll makes clear that access to general practice is a top priority for patients – and it’s vital the Government takes note.
‘We understand just how much our patients value the care and services GPs and our teams provide – and as GPs, we’re just as frustrated when they struggle to access safe and timely person-centred care.
‘Recent surveys have given reason for encouragement, showing increasing public satisfaction with general practice services, including around access – but it’s clear from today’s polling there is some way to go.’
Professor Hawthorne added that GP numbers were not rising ‘in step’ with growing numbers of patients and complexity and that it was ‘really heartening’ that the ‘public recognises this, and wants to see action’.
The Health Foundation poll also showed that the public’s confidence in the Government’s management of the NHS remains low, with only 16% agreeing that the right policies are in place.
However the polling did take place before the 10-year health plan; and it is still more positive than before last year’s general election – where only 8% supported the Government’s plans for the NHS.
Assistant director of Policy at the Health Foundation Tim Gardner said: ‘Overall, the public mood on health and care remains largely downbeat but there are signs that perceptions are slowly improving. Views of local health services are more positive than perceptions of how the NHS is performing overall, especially among people with recent experience of accessing care.
‘The challenge for government will be convincing the public that their plans will deliver tangible improvements in the areas they care most about. While the government has made improving NHS waiting times its headline pledge, the public’s top priority remains easier access to GP services with tackling elective waiting times only fifth among their biggest concerns.
‘Tackling unacceptably long waits for routine hospital treatment is essential, but resources are constrained and trade-offs are inevitable, so the risk is that slower progress is made on delivering the priorities that matter most to the public.’
Ruth Rankine, primary care director and neighbourhood lead at the NHS Confederation, added that the poll showed how important GP access and A&E waits are to the public.
‘Primary care is the front door of the NHS and the first port of call for patients seeking care, so it is no surprise that so many people are concerned about the pressure it is facing,’ she said.
‘However, it is important to remember that primary care is not just general practice and through pharmacy and eyecare initiatives NHS leaders are working incredibly hard to ease demand on GPs and their teams. We must continue to look at how to maximise the skills and expertise that exists within the breadth of primary care which will support the government’s ambition to shift care closer to home.
‘It is welcome to see that despite falling satisfaction, the public’s faith in the NHS model as a service for everyone that is free at the point of delivery and primarily funded by taxation remains strong.’
A version of this story was first published on our sister title Pulse.
