Seeing same GP ‘improves patient health and cuts workload of doctors’

Between 2018 and 2023, the proportion of patients who ‘always or almost always’ saw or spoke to their preferred GP decreased from 26% to 16%. Photograph: Anthony Devlin/PA

Seeing the same GP improves patients’ health, reduces doctors’ workloads and could free up millions of appointments, according to the largest study of its kind.

Primary care is under enormous strain, with patients struggling to book consultations, GPs quitting or retiring early, and financial pressures causing some practices to close. Four-week waits hit a record high in 2023, with 17.6m appointments taking place at least 28 days after being booked in England last year.