New results from the national GP Patient Survey show that patients in Dorset continue to rate their local general practice surgeries positively.

This year, 81% of people who responded said their overall experience of their practice was good or very good. That’s above the national average.

The annual survey, run by Ipsos Mori and published by NHS England, asked people across Dorset how they felt about different parts of their care. It looked at things like how easy it was to get an appointment, whether they felt listened to and how confident they were in the staff they saw.

Other highlights from Dorset include:

  • 76% had a good overall experience of contacting their GP practice, which is significantly above the national average
  • 94% had confidence and trust in the healthcare professional they saw or spoke to, which is above the national average
  • 92% of people were involved as much as they want to be in decisions about their care and treatment
  • 92% of people felt their needs were met during their last appointment.

In Dorset, around half a million appointments are delivered every month in general practice.

Dr Paul Johnson, Chief Medical Officer at NHS Dorset ICB, said, “These results show just how hard our general practice teams are working. Even with more people needing care and ongoing challenges, staff continue to support patients with kindness, skill and care. This feedback is something everyone in general practice should be proud of.

“We recognise that accessing primary care services is important to people in Dorset. We will continue to work with our colleagues in general practice to ensure there is continued good access to services across the county.”

Forbes Watson, Chair of Dorset General Practice Alliance, said, “Dorset has once again shown it can lead the way, even during tough times. Practices are doing their very best to support people across our communities. We know there’s more to do and we’re listening to this feedback as we plan for the future.”

These survey results come a week after the government published its new 10 Year Health Plan to make care more personal, more local and more focused on preventing illness. The plan highlights the need for better use of digital tools, more joined-up support and extra help for communities to stay healthy.

“It’s really good to see how highly Dorset patients rate the care and support they receive from their practice,” said Ian Gall, Patient & Public Lead for the Alliance. “We know that there are still challenges for some people about how best to contact their surgery. The Alliance and NHS Dorset ICB are working with practices to give patients the information they need to make confident choices about how they access care.”

Local general practices are already taking steps in that direction by offering online booking, health roles in the community and services that help people get the care they need, when they need it.