The results of the annual GP Patient Survey have been published and show that in Dorset of those who responded:

  • 80% described their experience of their GP practice as good*, slightly higher than the national average of 74%
  • 67% felt the wait time for appointment was about right – broadly in line with the national average
  • 90% felt the healthcare professional listened to them at their last appointment*
  • 95% had confidence and trust in the healthcare professional they saw
  • 83% felt their experience of pharmacy services was good*
  • 92% felt their needs had been met at their last appointment.

Conducted annually by Ipsos Mori and published by NHS England, The GP Patient Survey gathers feedback from patients across Dorset on various aspects of their healthcare journey, including access to GPs, appointment-making, quality of care, and satisfaction with opening hours and out-of-hours services.

Dr Paul Johnson is Chief Medical Officer with NHS Dorset. He said “The results of this year’s GP Patient Survey show that despite practices being under immense pressure, staff working in primary care are going over and above to try and provide the best possible service for people in Dorset and they should be proud of the findings.”

Dr Forbes Watson, Chair of the Dorset General Practice Alliance said, “It’s great to see Dorset doing well nationally during some very challenging times. This is thanks to hard working practice staff doing their very best for their patients. There are areas that require improvement which everyone is working hard to achieve.”

The full results are available at https://www.gp-patient.co.uk/.

*Responded either good or very good.