GP practice consultations are, by some distance, the most common interaction between the NHS and the population it serves.  During these consultations, patient’s acute conditions are diagnosed and treated, their long-term conditions are managed, preventative interventions are delivered, and referrals to secondary care are made.  Patient satisfaction with access to GP practice consultations is a long-standing problem, but this issue has become more acute since the COVID-19 pandemic.  In our latest analysis for the Midlands Decision Support Network (MDSN), we quantify this problem, consider the implications, and explore potential solutions.

The analysis has been published as a set of three reports in the MDSN library.  The reports cover the following topics:

• Long-term trends in GP practice consultation rates
• The gap between need and supply of GP practice consultations
• GP practice productivity, efficiency, and continuity of care