Dorset patients continue to rate general practice positively in latest national survey
New results from the national GP Patient Survey show that many patients in Dorset continue to report positive experiences of local general practice.
The 2026 GP Patient Survey results were published today and include information on patient experience of general practice, NHS dentistry and community pharmacy.
The survey is run by Ipsos on behalf of NHS England. It asks patients about their experiences of GP practice services, including access, contacting their practice, the quality of care they received, and whether they had confidence and trust in the healthcare professional they saw or spoke to.
Nationally, the results show a positive rise in patients’ experience of general practice compared with 2025.
Across England, 76.7% of patients said they had a good overall experience of their GP practice, up from 75.4% in 2025.
There has also been growth in the number of people contacting their GP practice online or through the NHS App, rising from 22.4% in 2025 to 30.8% in 2026.
Use of online GP practice services has also increased, with 79.2% of respondents saying they had used online services in the last 12 months, compared with 74.4% in 2025.
In Dorset, the results also show positive feedback across several areas of general practice.
According to the 2026 survey:
94% of Dorset patients said they had confidence and trust in the healthcare professional they saw or spoke to, compared with 93% nationally
92% said their needs were met during their last appointment, compared with 90% nationally
89% said the healthcare professional was good at listening to them, compared with 87% nationally
88% said they found the reception and administrative team at their GP practice helpful, compared with 85% nationally
77% described their experience of contacting their GP practice as good, compared with 73% nationally
Tim Goodson, CEO at the Alliance, said, “These results are encouraging and reflect the hard work taking place across general practice in Dorset every day.
“It is positive to see that many patients report having confidence and trust in the healthcare professionals they speak to, feel listened to, and say their needs are being met.
“We know there is always more to do, especially around access, and we will continue to work with practices and partners to improve patients’ experiences of general practice across Dorset.”
The GP Patient Survey is an independent patient experience survey run by Ipsos on behalf of NHS England.
The full results are available on the GP Patient Survey website: GP Patient Survey.
Scroll through for some examples from the survey for Dorset:
