Experts from our Health Equity Evidence Centre analysed data from the 2024 GP Patient Survey to see what it reveals about socio-economic inequalities in primary care.
In the analysis, published in Pulse, Cameron Appel and John Ford found that overall patient satisfaction with general practice has improved slightly compared to 2023 but is still substantially lower than pre-pandemic levels. Disparities remain between areas of least- and most-deprivation: 79% of patients who belong to practices in least deprived areas reported ‘fairly good’ or ‘very good’ overall experience, compared to only 72% in the most deprived areas.
Behind the averages, there are large differences between individual NHS Integrated Care Boards (ICBs): Dorset ICB had the highest average overall satisfaction with 82%, while the lowest was Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes ICB with an average overall satisfaction of 67%. The analysis also found inequalities within ICBs. For example, in Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin the overall patient satisfaction is relatively good (78%), but there is an 18% difference between practices in most and least deprived areas. However, in North East London there is relatively poor patient satisfaction (70%), but the difference between practices in the most and least deprived areas is relatively small. That lack of variation in North East London may reflect widespread socio-economic disadvantage within the ICB, compared to Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin which has a mixture of more affluent and poorer areas.
While the small improvement across all socio-economic groups and the narrowing of the gap is welcome, there is much further we need to go in improving patient satisfaction, standardising care, and narrowing socio-economic inequalities. Inequalities in patient satisfaction are not inevitable but require fundamental changes to the structures within general practice funding, workforce and workload.
Read the full analysis in Pulse.