Thread by @danwellings

Very interesting set of results out this morning #gpps gp-patient.co.uk as always fieldwork period is key. Run from January to start of April this year. Results suggest experience of GP practices held up well and improved on some measures 1/

Great summary here from @IpsosMORI

@IpsosMORI will take a bit of interpreting as lots of different factors in play: vaccine rollout, people holding back from making appointments (phone, online etc) and gratitude bias? results may not represent position today 3/

In difficult times there can be blame game pitting patients against doctors but these results show that for vast majority of patients the relationship with their practice is a good one 95.6% had confidence and trust in their healthcare professional

Survey shows the danger of using anecdotes to try and say what is happening in a service. GP practices clearly weren’t all closed! They did a very good job at keeping services running whilst also rolling out the vaccine

But and an important but 42.3%said they had avoided making a GP appointment in the last 12 months either because they were worried about burden (19.8) or Covid risk (17.3) or abuse they found it too difficult (11.1)

This pent up demand is now coming back in to the system and if conducted today these results would almost certainly look different. Wrong though to think about GP access in isolation

For many patients GPs have become their only way into the health and care system. Many GPs are having to deal with issues caused by the lack of social care and the knock on effects of waiting lists which were already long before the pandemic

Demand is growing but to think the answer is only about improving access to primary care misses the point. It is about system recovery and understanding the knock on effects that other stretched and creaking services are having on GP workload

Inequalities! Patients living in the most deprived areas were less positive than those in the least deprived area @davidjbuck @BolaOwolabi8

This is where the survey only takes you so far and where more qualitative conversations need to start with people and communities in different areas @benomsam @clareenston @neilgchurchill @CharlotteAugst @jacoblant @TheNakedCitizen

Finally for now...practices will always remember challenging patients disproportionately! for vast majority the care they receive is appreciated with people being listened to, given enough time and treated with care and concern @NikkiKF @wellbeingandy @BeccyA