“It is very encouraging to see a continuing rise in the proportion of patients who have a good experience in general practice. This mirrors increases in public satisfaction shown in the British Social Attitudes Survey.

"Given that access to primary care is one of the public's main concerns about the health service, it is also positive that patients are generally reporting better experiences of contacting their GP - whether by phone, their practice website or the NHS App. That around three in ten report all three methods as being ‘difficult’, however - and that less than half have tried to contact their practice through the NHS App - shows that there is still work to be done to create an accessible 'digital front door' and to assist patients who find accessing their GP more challenging.

"The survey also includes new questions on patient choice. These show that patients are not consistently afforded their right to choose when referred to secondary care. More must be done nationally and through practices to raise awareness of this right among patients, because improving access to choice is essential to the long term ambition of empowering patients. Similarly, while more patients with long term conditions report having a conversation about managing their condition and agreeing a care plan, the numbers are still far too low – particularly as the Ten Year Plan’s ambitions for an expanded rollout of care plans are scheduled for delivery next year.”