Key Summary
- 30 percent thought they did not expect to be offered a suitable appointment and 17 percent felt it would be too difficult to contact the GP practice.
- Two-thirds of people (66 percent) support patients seeing other health care professionals such as pharmacists or practice nurses, instead of a GP where appropriate.
- Two in five (42 percent) think that the general standard of care provided by the NHS has worsened.
People are reluctant to contact the GP when they are ill, as they fear they may not easily get an appointment. Many are open to approaching pharmacists for minor conditions, says a Health Foundation’s new patient attitude poll on accessing GP services.
The poll, conducted by Ipsos in December, found that nearly half of the public (48 percent) reported delaying or avoiding contacting their GP practice about a health concern in the last 12 months.
Access issues are a key factor, as 30 percent thought they did not expect to be offered a suitable appointment and 17 percent felt it would be too difficult to contact the practice.
Nearly a third (27 percent) chose to manage the issue themselves or wait for it to go away, and 14 percent were worried that they would not be taken seriously.
Interestingly, two-thirds of people (66 percent) support patients seeing other health care professionals, such as pharmacists or practice nurses, instead of a GP, where appropriate.
The popularity of NHS app and practice website is also on the rise, with over half (55 percent) saying they prefer to use these methods to make a GP appointment.
Unhappy with NHS performance
The public perception of the NHS continues to be pessimistic, and two in five (42 percent) think that the general standard of care provided by the NHS has worsened over the last 12 months, compared with just 12 percent who think it has improved.
Nearly half (47 percent) expect standards of care to get worse over the next year, while 15 percent think they will get better.
The survey was conducted between 4 and 10 December 2025 and 2,214 people aged 16 years and older took part.
The UK government had on Tuesday (24) published the new GP contract for 2025-26 that aims to increase the number of family doctors and improve care.
It obliges GP practices to see all patients with urgent medical needs on the same day and has reallocated £300m to let surgeries hire 1,600 more doctors.
Commenting on the Health Foundation’s poll findings, Ruth Rankine, director of the primary care network and neighbourhood lead at the NHS Confederation and NHS Providers, said, "Primary care is the ‘front door’ for patients seeking care and plays a key role in the NHS’ much-needed shift towards prevention.
"It is, therefore, disappointing that this polling shows that so many patients lack confidence in booking appointments with their GP due to concerns over access, choice and GP capacity.
"Yesterday, we also welcomed the publication of the GP contract. With a £485 million investment in boosting GP capacity, as well as the requirement for 90 percent of patients with urgent care needs to be seen on a same-day basis by a GP, we hope that this will go some way to addressing the concerns highlighted in the Health Foundation’s report.
"Patients should also be aware that they can use a number of other tools available to them should they need to access the care they want and need, including the ability to book GP appointments online, and to visit community pharmacies for support for minor illnesses and aches and pains, lifestyle advice and vaccinations."
Pharmacy2U superintendent pharmacist Phil Day said, “There are many reasons why people put off going to their GP, but a perceived lack of accessibility is one of the most frustrating to hear as a clinician, because we have the technology today to give people immediate peace of mind that their health concerns have been acknowledged and appropriately triaged.
“The success of Pharmacy First has shown that many common conditions can be diagnosed and treated in pharmacies instead of GPs, and there’s a strong case for expanding the scheme further. Not only would it alleviate pressure on stretched GPs, and ultimately the NHS, but it would help more people access medical help quicker, especially when delivered digitally.”
