Care minister Stephen Kinnock has expressed satisfaction over a steady increase in public approval for general practitioners in recent Office for National Statistics (ONS) surveys, and claimed that GP services were undergoing a recovery after years of neglect.
The January 2026 Health Insight Survey by the ONS shows that 76.8 percent of people described contact with their GP as easy, up from 75.1 percent the previous month, and from 60.9 percent in July 2024.
“We’re fixing the front door of the NHS - and the public is noticing. Satisfaction with general practice is on the rise after a decade of decline."
He pointed out that the latest ONS survey shows record levels of approval with ease of access (77 percent) in January, up from 61 percent in July 2024.
The minister said, “This progress is the result of the extra investment and modernisation this government has introduced, cutting red tape so GPs spend more time caring for patients, investing £100 million in expanding GP practices, and recruiting 2,000 more GPs."
“To help end the 8 am scramble, we have rolled out game-changing online access across the country – with a record 9.2 million online requests submitted in January 2026.
“We’re not resting on our laurels. Our £500 million contract uplift agreed this week goes even further, funding for around an extra 1,600 GPs, and guarantee same day appointments for patients with urgent needs. We know there is more to do but General Practice is firmly on the road to recovery.”
Patients can now access their surgery online by submitting online consultation requests that remain open during work hours (8am to 6.30pm).
In the latest GP contract for 2026 to 2027, all patients with urgent needs to have access to a same-day GP appointment.
The contract is backed by a £485 million uplift in government investment, with plans to recruit more GPs.
It also has a provision to hire experienced professionals through the Additional Roles and Reimbursement Scheme (ARRS).
