The latest polling from the Health Foundation and Ipsos, conducted in December 2025, found that nearly half of the public (48%) delayed or avoided contacting their GP practice about a health concern in the previous 12 months.
The findings also reveal that improving access to general practice remains top of the public’s list of priorities for the NHS, this time tied with improving access to A&E.
The majority of those who avoided making contact with their GP cited perceived challenges linked to access as the reason for this: 30% did not expect to be offered a suitable appointment, 17% thought it would be too difficult to contact the practice, and 14% worried their request would not be taken seriously. A quarter of people (27%) decided to manage the issue themselves or wait for it to go away.
The findings should ring alarm bells for policymakers intent on delivering the government’s 10-Year Health Plan, which includes commitments to move care out of hospitals and to shift from sickness to prevention. Persistent difficulties in accessing general practice risk undermining these ambitions, so boosting investment and recruiting and retaining enough GPs must be a priority for government.
The polling suggests that key reforms to speed up access to general practice in the NHS are generally welcomed by the public. Two-thirds of people (66%) support patients seeing other healthcare professionals such as a practice nurse or pharmacist, rather than a GP, where appropriate. More than half (55%) prefer to use online options such as the NHS App or practice website to make an appointment. Recent research also illustrates the importance of designing these changes carefully to avoid undermining continuity of care for patients who need it and making it harder for some groups to access care.
Previous polling show that the public thinks the main challenges facing practices are not having enough doctors (41%), looking after more patients because of an ageing population (29%) and a lack of funding (27%).
Improving access to A&E has also risen to the top of the public’s list of priorities for the NHS, increasing from 25% around the time of the 2024 election to 36% now. This follows unprecedented pressures facing A&E services across England, with a record number of more than 550,000 patients waiting more than 12 hours in A&E for a hospital bed in 2025. The government’s flagship policy to improve waiting times for routine hospital appointments ranks only fourth in the list of the public’s top concerns.
Public views about the NHS remain negative overall. 42% of people think that the general standard of care provided by the NHS has worsened over the last 12 months, while only 12% believe it has improved. Views are similarly pessimistic about prospects for the year ahead. 47% think standards will get worse, and 15% think they will get better.
Tim Gardner, Assistant Director of Policy at the Health Foundation, said: "These findings reflect the tough choices facing policymakers in turning around a struggling health service. The government has pledged to shift care from hospital to community, yet this will only happen with strong foundations in general practice which needs investment and reform.
"Priorities include recruiting and retaining enough GPs, modernising general practice IT and buildings, and rapidly testing and evaluating new ways of delivering care – including balancing speed of access with continuity of care for patients who most need it. Our findings signal that, too often, people are going without the care they need, which risks storing up health problems further down the line and placing more strain on an already stretched service."
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