NHS Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire commends GP practice staff as national GP patient survey results are published
Results from this year’s national GP Patient Survey (GPPS) show high overall levels of patient satisfaction (78%) with Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire GP practices – above the national (England) average of 77%.
Figures also show that 88% of patients had positive experiences of community pharmacy services, and 68% of patients felt similarly about NHS dental services.
The annual survey assesses patients’ experiences of healthcare services provided by GP practices. This includes access to GP practices, contacting the practice, the quality of care received from healthcare professionals, experience of services when their GP practice is closed and patients’ experiences of NHS pharmacy and dental services.
The survey also captures information about patient health, including patients with long-term conditions, disabilities, or illnesses and the support they receive to manage these.
Results are presented at GP practice, Primary Care Network (PCN), Integrated Care System (ICS) and national level. In the Healthier Together ICS area, 32,999 questionnaires were sent out and 7,838 were returned completed, representing a response rate of 24%.
This year’s feedback shows that confidence and trust in local GP practice teams remains high at 93%, with 90% of patients feeling that their needs were met during their most recent appointment and 92% reporting that they felt involved in decisions about their care and treatment. Eighty-eight percent of local patients felt that they were treated with care and concern, compared with a national average of 86%.
Dr Geeta Iyer, Deputy Chief Medical Officer at NHS Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire Integrated Care Board, said:
“Our General Practice teams of GPs, healthcare professionals and other practice staff, do an amazing job providing the best possible care to patients, often under great pressure, and I’m delighted to see this reflected in feedback from patients.
“Local practices respond to a huge volume of requests from patients and deliver around 500,000 appointments each month, or over 6 million a year.
“The survey figures indicate that for most people in our area, experience of care is very good, with patients trusting their healthcare professional and feeling supported and involved in decisions about their care.
“Surgery teams deserve huge recognition for their dedication to patient care and their focus on making it easier for people to get help quickly, including same-day care where needed.
“However, we know that not all patients report a positive experience. The high levels of need are putting sustained pressure on services, and practices are balancing the need to offer quick access to appointments with maintaining continuity of care, particularly for people with long term conditions.
“We will continue to work with local and national partners to tackle the underlying pressures on GP practices and their teams and improve the way that patients are supported to access the most appropriate service.”
Dr Jacob Lee, Chair of the Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire General Practice Collaborative Board (GPCB), said:
“I am delighted to see the positive feedback in the latest Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire patient survey results. It reflects the dedication, professionalism and compassion of our general practice teams, who work tirelessly to provide high-quality care despite increasing demand. I would like to personally thank all our staff for their commitment, resilience and unwavering focus on supporting patients every day.
“General practice remains committed to providing the best possible care for our patients, and I am excited by the opportunities that collaborative working across neighbourhoods will bring. With the support of our GP federation, One Care, and its sub-committee, the General Practice Collaborative Board, practices are working together to deliver more joined-up care and better respond to the health and wellbeing needs of our communities.”
Pharmacy and NHS dentistry
This year’s survey also asked patients about their experiences with community pharmacies and NHS dentists.
Eighty-eight percent of patients expressed satisfaction with community pharmacy services, which they used for prescriptions, medications, advice, blood pressure checks and vaccines. This is slightly below the national average of 89%, but follows a steady improvement in local satisfaction levels which have risen from 84% in 2024.
The picture is similar for local NHS dental services, where satisfaction is lower than the national average, but has seen significant improvement the last two years – rising from 62% in 2025 to 68% in 2026.
Improving access to NHS dentistry remains a key priority for NHS Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire and its partners and good progress has been made over the last year. Local dental practices delivered 10% more dental activity in 2025/2026 compared to 2024/2025.
Practices delivered an additional 12,000 urgent dental appointments last year, helping to support people with pain caused by dental issues.