Most people want to be able to see the same GP when they visit their surgery, polling has shown.
The findings of a survey of 4,000 adults came after official data showed that the vast majority of patients rarely get to see the family doctor of their choice.
Rebuild General Practice, a grassroots campaign by GPs, says a major expansion of family doctors is needed to keep up with the demands of a growing and ageing population.
Family doctors said that having sufficient numbers would mean practices could run far more efficiently, without patients having to repeat their medical history to GPs who barely know them.
The polling found that 57 per cent of adults in the UK think it is important they see the same GP when they visit their surgery, with that figure rising to 70 per cent among pensioners.
Last month, Labour highlighted the most recent mass survey of GP patients, which found that 65 per cent of patients rarely or never get to see their preferred doctor – up from 50 per cent in 2018.
Dr Rachel Ward, a GP from Oxfordshire and a member of the Rebuild General Practice campaign, said thousands more family doctors were required in order for general practice to work as it should.
She added: “We know that patients do better with continuity of care, particularly for elderly people and those with conditions such and dementia. We also know that those with complex health problems are less likely to be admitted to hospital if they can see the GP who knows them.”
Dr Ward said holistic care from the same doctor was “far more efficient” than expecting patients and GPs to start from scratch each time, and built up far more trust.
Calling for a return to a more traditional way of working, she said: “When you are dealing with high numbers of people that don’t have continuity of care, the risk just rockets – it feels unsafe and it is very, very stressful”.
In 38 per cent of cases, patients said they would feel less anxious about their appointment if they were seeing a familiar GP, the polling showed.
The campaign warned that the number of GPs has fallen by 1,000 since 2019 despite repeated Government pledges to boost numbers. Earlier this year, a Telegraph investigation revealed that more than 1,200 GP practices have closed in eight years, forcing elderly and vulnerable patients to travel further for care.
The NHS data show the number of practices in England is now the lowest on record, forcing the number of patients per surgery to an all-time high. Shortages of GPs have seen surgeries closing and merging to cover ever greater populations, with rural areas among the most stretched.
Last month, Wes Streeting, the shadow health secretary, said a Labour government would give people the right to see the family doctor of their choice, with GPs paid more for respecting the wishes of their patients.
A Department of Health and Social Care spokesman said: “People can ask to see a particular doctor, and practices must try to comply with all reasonable requests. Patients also have the right to choose the GP practice they want.
“With more than 160,000 additional appointments per working day, 2,000 additional doctors and 31,000 extra staff, we are delivering for patients.”
Sure, I can request the same doctor, if I want to wait 3 months for an appointment for life-altering med management… If they’ll even allow me to book in not just “ring up again later to see if She has appointments opening up…”
And I’d prefer to because explaining how my conditions have interacted, what meds do to me (which is outside the usual reactions because auto immune stuff), my long time issues with sleep and fatigue is annoying every appointment. But it took me over a month to get a simple appointment to change meds around to better control a long term illness. Waiting 3 months wasn’t really an option there.
Maybe as a first step, stop treating them like shit
Nobody wants to be a GP because they are overworked, underpaid and the general public treat them like shit.
I’d like to win the lottery, but that’s not happening either.
Yes, continuity is important, but impractical. Every time I’ve been I get to see a locum. So I don’t see the point of being assigned to a specific surgery. Why can’t you just go to any surgery that has an appointment when I want it. My surgery is literally a few minutes walk away, but I’d gladly drive an hour to get an appointment when I want it.
Our surgery recently sent out a text proudly stating that I’ve now got a named GP that I should see every time I book a routine appointment.
As far as I was concerned I already had one, the one who I used to see every time until about 10 years ago.
They also never have routine appointments so I haven’t seen the same doctor twice in maybe 3 or 4 years, and I haven’t seen my new named one in 5 or 6 years.
I saw the same GP from birth to age 18 until they left the practice. I have a preferred doctor that I’ve seen since then if I feel like I need too but I don’t really go to the dr’s anymore
The article is misleading.
People want to return to a good GP, and don’t want to return to a bad one.
For example, let’s assume that only 1/3 of doctors are good. And let’s assume that you have 10 appointments:
8 comments
(Article)
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Most people want to be able to see the same GP when they visit their surgery, polling has shown.
The findings of a survey of 4,000 adults came after official data showed that the vast majority of patients rarely get to see the family doctor of their choice.
Rebuild General Practice, a grassroots campaign by GPs, says a major expansion of family doctors is needed to keep up with the demands of a growing and ageing population.
Family doctors said that having sufficient numbers would mean practices could run far more efficiently, without patients having to repeat their medical history to GPs who barely know them.
The polling found that 57 per cent of adults in the UK think it is important they see the same GP when they visit their surgery, with that figure rising to 70 per cent among pensioners.
Last month, Labour highlighted the most recent mass survey of GP patients, which found that 65 per cent of patients rarely or never get to see their preferred doctor – up from 50 per cent in 2018.
Dr Rachel Ward, a GP from Oxfordshire and a member of the Rebuild General Practice campaign, said thousands more family doctors were required in order for general practice to work as it should.
She added: “We know that patients do better with continuity of care, particularly for elderly people and those with conditions such and dementia. We also know that those with complex health problems are less likely to be admitted to hospital if they can see the GP who knows them.”
Dr Ward said holistic care from the same doctor was “far more efficient” than expecting patients and GPs to start from scratch each time, and built up far more trust.
Calling for a return to a more traditional way of working, she said: “When you are dealing with high numbers of people that don’t have continuity of care, the risk just rockets – it feels unsafe and it is very, very stressful”.
In 38 per cent of cases, patients said they would feel less anxious about their appointment if they were seeing a familiar GP, the polling showed.
The campaign warned that the number of GPs has fallen by 1,000 since 2019 despite repeated Government pledges to boost numbers. Earlier this year, a Telegraph investigation revealed that more than 1,200 GP practices have closed in eight years, forcing elderly and vulnerable patients to travel further for care.
The NHS data show the number of practices in England is now the lowest on record, forcing the number of patients per surgery to an all-time high. Shortages of GPs have seen surgeries closing and merging to cover ever greater populations, with rural areas among the most stretched.
Last month, Wes Streeting, the shadow health secretary, said a Labour government would give people the right to see the family doctor of their choice, with GPs paid more for respecting the wishes of their patients.
A Department of Health and Social Care spokesman said: “People can ask to see a particular doctor, and practices must try to comply with all reasonable requests. Patients also have the right to choose the GP practice they want.
“With more than 160,000 additional appointments per working day, 2,000 additional doctors and 31,000 extra staff, we are delivering for patients.”
Sure, I can request the same doctor, if I want to wait 3 months for an appointment for life-altering med management… If they’ll even allow me to book in not just “ring up again later to see if She has appointments opening up…”
And I’d prefer to because explaining how my conditions have interacted, what meds do to me (which is outside the usual reactions because auto immune stuff), my long time issues with sleep and fatigue is annoying every appointment. But it took me over a month to get a simple appointment to change meds around to better control a long term illness. Waiting 3 months wasn’t really an option there.
Maybe as a first step, stop treating them like shit
Nobody wants to be a GP because they are overworked, underpaid and the general public treat them like shit.
I’d like to win the lottery, but that’s not happening either.
Yes, continuity is important, but impractical. Every time I’ve been I get to see a locum. So I don’t see the point of being assigned to a specific surgery. Why can’t you just go to any surgery that has an appointment when I want it. My surgery is literally a few minutes walk away, but I’d gladly drive an hour to get an appointment when I want it.
Our surgery recently sent out a text proudly stating that I’ve now got a named GP that I should see every time I book a routine appointment.
As far as I was concerned I already had one, the one who I used to see every time until about 10 years ago.
They also never have routine appointments so I haven’t seen the same doctor twice in maybe 3 or 4 years, and I haven’t seen my new named one in 5 or 6 years.
I saw the same GP from birth to age 18 until they left the practice. I have a preferred doctor that I’ve seen since then if I feel like I need too but I don’t really go to the dr’s anymore
The article is misleading.
People want to return to a good GP, and don’t want to return to a bad one.
For example, let’s assume that only 1/3 of doctors are good. And let’s assume that you have 10 appointments:
| GP quality | Action for next appointment |
| bad | change GP |
| bad | change GP |
| good | keep GP |
| good | keep GP |
| good | keep GP |
| good | keep GP |
| good | keep GP |
| good | keep GP |
| good | keep GP |
| good | keep GP |