Feelings of isolation: What does 2021 GP Patient Survey data tell us?

With the introduction of three national lockdowns to limit the spread of COVID-19 many of us were unable to see family and friends for extended periods of time. Though restrictions were lifted in July 2021, the need to pause and adapt social interactions has led many of us to feel lonely, and in turn more isolated.

Results from the latest GP Patient Survey (GPPS) - which surveyed around 850,000 patients from January to March 2021 - reflect this, showing a marked increase in patients who said they had felt isolated from others over the previous 12 months (the percentage doubled to 15% from 7% in 2020).

Age Trends in Isolation

Interestingly, since the question was first introduced in 2018, younger patients aged 16-24 have been consistently more likely than any other age group to say they had felt isolated. In addition, the proportion of 16-24 year olds reporting feelings of isolation has been rising year on year, although the greatest increase in those reporting isolation during the pandemic was among those aged 25-34 (from 9% in 2020 up to 19% in the 2021 survey).

Isolation Among Carers

Overall, patients who identify themselves as carers were more likely to say they felt isolated from others in the past 12 months (18%), compared with those who do not provide unpaid care (14%). This is particularly evident among younger carers: 32% of carers aged 16 to 24 reported having felt isolated compared with 21% of non-carers of the same age, and 28% of carers aged 25 to 34 compared with 18% of non-carers.

Gender and Ethnicity Differences

Women were more likely to have felt isolated than men (16% compared with 13%) and the proportions are higher again for those who described themselves as non-binary or preferred to self-describe (41% and 24% isolated respectively). By ethnicity, patients selecting ‘any other Mixed or multiple ethnic backgrounds’¹ (24%), ‘White and Black Caribbean’ (23%), and ‘Gypsy or Irish Traveller’ (23%) were more likely to have felt isolated.

Isolation and Long-Term Conditions

With the establishment of self-isolation and shielding advice for those patients considered clinically extremely vulnerable (CEV), many have been even more limited in terms of contact with others. According to the survey results, patients with any long-term physical or mental health condition or disability (LTC) were more than twice as likely to say they had felt isolated (20% compared with 8% with no LTCs). This is even more marked among younger age groups; 36% aged 16-24 with an LTC reported having felt isolated, compared with 12% of patients the same age with no LTCs, with a similar pattern for 25-34 year olds (32% with an LTC compared with 11% with no LTCs).

Looking at specific long-term conditions or disabilities, patients with a mental health condition were most likely to say they felt isolated from others in the past 12 months (45%), followed by autistic patients (42%), and those with a learning disability (38%).

Impact on Seeking GP Appointments

Among those who needed a GP appointment, patients who had felt isolated were more likely to have avoided making one at some time in the last 12 months (55% compared with 34% for all patients needing an appointment). In terms of specific reasons for avoiding making an appointment, patients who felt isolated were more likely to say they were worried about the risk of catching COVID-19 (26% compared with 17% overall) and were also more concerned about adding to the burden on the NHS (26% compared with 20% overall).

The implementation of national restrictions over the last 2 years to limit the spread of COVID-19 has impacted patients’ connection with family and friends, as well as their GP. A key question for the next wave of the GP Patient Survey is whether this increase is indicative of a future trend, or rather is reflective of shorter-term uncertainty.

¹For a full list of ethnic groups, please see the survey questionnaire, available on the surveys and reports page of the website: www.gp-patient.co.uk/surveysandreports

Further analysis

The GPPS provides a rich source of information on patient’s experiences of their GP practice. The data for this article was analysed using the GPPS analysis tool, which you can use to create your own subgroups of interest at https://analysistool.gp-patient.co.uk/analysistool. For more information, please email the team at GPPatientSurvey@ipsos.com.

Technical information

Ipsos administers the GPPS on behalf of NHS England. This is the fifteenth year that the GPPS has been conducted in England. The latest survey consisted of around 2.4 million postal questionnaires sent to adults registered with GP practices in England from January to the end of March 2021. Around 850,000 patients completed and returned a questionnaire, resulting in a national response rate of 35.3%. Data is weighted to match the profile of the population. The data reported on this page is weighted. Read further technical information about how the survey works. For more general information about the survey, and to access the data see www.gp-patient.co.uk