Organisational Uses
Back to UsesHow do organisations use GP Patient Survey data?
- Monitoring policy initiatives including the Delivery plan for recovering access to primary care and by specific policy areas such as long-term conditions and carers.
- Monitoring key outcomes for adults and children in patient experience of GP and NHS dental services which is used in the NHS Outcomes Framework.
- Understanding more about patients’ experience of making choices about their care which feeds into the Elective Care Plan.
- Evaluating performance across a range of policies including access to services and winter pressures at GP practice level.
- Identifying problems and reducing variation in how GPs listen to and respond to women, which feeds into the Women’s Health Strategy. From 2026, the GP Patient Survey data platform will include a specific focus on women’s experiences of feeling listened to.
- Understanding smoking prevalence in adults (current smokers, ex smokers and never smoked) and for indicators related to prevalence in adults with a long-term mental health condition. There is more information on these profiles: Smoking Profile | Department of Health and Social Care.
- Monitoring percentage of adults (16+) reporting at least two long-term conditions, at least one of which is related to Musculoskeletal (MSK) health, and the relationship between mental health conditions among those with or without a MSK condition. There is more information on these profiles: Musculoskeletal health profile: statistical commentary, April 2025 - GOV.UK
- Care Quality Commission (CQC) – are the regulators for all health and care services.
- The GP Patient Survey provides inspectors with information on how GP practices are performing and identifies any changes over time.
- The indicators constructed from GPPS are used in the GP Insight model for monitoring of practices and are used by inspectors to guide questioning and include in their ‘evidence tables’ which are appended to inspection reports.
- Healthwatch is an independent organisation that uses research on what matters to patients and the public to champion for change.
- At a national level they use the data to find out what experiences are like across the country.
- At a local level to review and look at improvements that could be made.
- Healthwatch England uses GPPS results in public responses and advocacy, for example calling for more real choice in GP appointments, free-to-call GP numbers, support with appointment travel, and more administrative/care navigation support.
- Local Healthwatch organisations, such as Healthwatch North Yorkshire and Healthwatch Rotherham, publish localised summaries using GPPS results to highlight regional issues around phone access, website access, NHS App access, appointment choice, pharmacies and dentistry.
Other uses of GP Patient Survey data:
- House of Commons Health and Social Care Committee - GPPS appears in evidence and wider context around access to general practice, including debates about demand, appointments, workforce pressures and the future of general practice. The Committee report draws on multiple national datasets to frame concerns about GP access and workload
- UK Data Service - The GP Patient Survey results and datasets are published on the UK Data Service website each year, for researchers to utilise for secondary analysis.
- Sexual orientation and health outcomes - Brighton and Sussex Medical School has a research programme using GPPS data to explore sexual orientation trends and health outcomes, including research on bisexual people’s health outcomes and disclosure of heterosexuality in GPPS.
- Older people and digital exclusion - Re-engage published a 2026 report on digital-first GP access which references GP access issues in the context of older people’s exclusion from online booking processes and argues for offline routes to remain protected. This uses data for advocacy, combining evidence from sources like GPPS with lived-experience stories.