Somerset is in the top 10 of areas in England where it is easiest to get a GP appointment, according to a new study.

The analysis carried out by healthcare management consultancy Acumentice.

A spokesperson said: "Following multiple lockdowns and suspension of non-urgent services during the COVID-19 pandemic, the UK has seen delays in diagnosis and increased waiting times continuing into 2023.

"Recent data from the GP Patient Survey suggests almost half of the patients who tried to acquire a GP appointment did not get an appointment when they wanted or sooner. 

"With this in mind, and following a 22% increase in searches for the term “GP appointments” between December 2020 and December 2022, a new study from healthcare management consultancy Acumentice delves into the GP patient experience to find the easiest regions to get a GP appointment.

"The new ranking is based on the percentage of patients per integrated Care Board (ICS) who advised they were offered some type of appointment when calling their local GP practice in the latest GP Patient Survey."

According to the study, the top ten easiest regions to get a GP appointment are: 

With 4,063 patients advising successful appointments made, Somerset made the top ten best regions to make a booking, taking fifth place, followed closely by North West London.

According to the recent survey, almost two-thirds (64%) of patients visiting a particular GP based in Somerset were offered a choice of appointment when they last tried to make a general practice appointment, and 79% felt the receptionists at this GP practice helpful.

Overall, the research found Devon to be the easiest region to acquire an appointment, with a total of 9265 patients advising they were offered a type of appointment with a place (for an appointment in person), a time or day, or a choice of a healthcare professional.

The 2022 GP Patient Survey confirms almost nine in 10 (86%) patients at a certain Devon-based practice were offered a choice of appointment when they last tried to make a general practice appointment, and 97% felt their needs were met during their last general practice appointment.

Dorset came in second place, closely behind Devon at number one with a total of 5734 patients advising they were offered some type of appointment. 

The study also revealed the top 10 most challenging regions to get a GP appointment:

The research found Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes to be the most challenging region to acquire an appointment, with a total of 4,751 patients advising they were not offered a type of appointment with a place (for an appointment in person), a time or day, or a choice of a healthcare professional.

According to the recent survey, at one Bedfordshire-based health centre in particular, almost half (46%) of patients were not offered a choice of appointment when they last tried to make a general practice appointment, and 56% would not describe their experience of making an appointment positively.

Karina Malhotra, founder and managing director of Acumentice, said: “Although it is great to see so many practices and integrated care systems performing well when it comes down to the number of appointments, we are still seeing one in six patients overall enduring a poor experience across the country.

 “It’s fair to say that the average patient and GP relationship still needs improvement; however, this is a symptom of the pressure that is being faced by all parts of the NHS. Due to the pandemic and following increasing demands, an immense strain has been placed on GP practices and their staff over the last two years. 

“With this in mind, it’s essential that GPs and the wider NHS start reviewing the challenges they are facing at a granular level. There is no silver bullet solution to these issues. In some cases, utilising technology and data effectively may improve matters, but in others, it may be largely a workforce challenge.”

Acumentice works closely with Integrated Care Systems and their primary care systems to ascertain their individual access challenges to ensure that 2023 can deliver better results for NHS staff and patients.