What do patients want from access to UK general practice?

Abstract

Background: Access to general practice is a topical concern, with rising numbers of consultations and decreasing numbers of general practitioners placing strain on the service. Patient satisfaction with general practice has seen a reduction in the UK. We sought to summarise the existing evidence about what patients want in relation to accessing general practice, to determine what is important to patients.

Aim: To examine what patients want from access to contemporary general practice in the UK.

Design and setting: Systematic review set in UK general practice.

Method: We included studies that reported patient wants in relation to access to general practice in the UK since 2010. All empirical study designs were included, both quantitative and qualitative. The mixed methods appraisal tool was used to assess study quality for contextual purposes. Narrative synthesis was applied to the included studies, with results presented using tables and text.

Results: We included 33 studies. The review showed that patients wanted information about how to access the general practice, choice of clinician, choice of healthcare professional type and choice of consultation mode. Patients wanted a nearby practice, with clean waiting rooms, easy appointment booking using simple systems and with short waiting times and to be kept informed about the process.

Conclusion: The factors that patients want should be taken into consideration when changing or developing approaches to access. Future evaluations of care, and research, should explicitly consider what patients want from access in general practice.