General practice is the front door to the NHS for most people. Yet for many patients, accessing care can feel far from straightforward, with complex processes, long waits and uncertainty about what happens next.

This joint report from the Patients Association and the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) brings together the experiences of patients and the perspectives of GPs from across the UK. It highlights how both groups are often navigating the same challenges, with patients facing confusing systems and clinicians working within structures that make care harder to deliver.

We drew on evidence from previous work and held focus groups with a diverse group of patients, while the RCGP engaged GPs to reflect on patient experiences and contribute their insights. Patients and clinicians also worked together through a joint working group to shape the campaign priorities and recommendations.

Together, these insights underline a clear need for change. The report calls on governments across the UK to make the NHS easier to access, better connected and simpler to navigate, while strengthening patient agency so people can better understand and influence their own care.

> Download the report

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Recommendations 

• Every patient should be able to navigate their care: patients and GPs must be equal partners in co-designing care pathways so they reflect real experiences and needs.  The NHS must provide clear and consistent information about how to access services and what to expect so patients feel informed and empowered in decisions about their healthcare.  
• Every patient should be able to see their GP when they need to: governments across the UK must set out clear plans to boost workforce numbers and provide sufficient funding for GP recruitment and retention so patients can access care when they need it - and to improve continuity of care.  
• Every patient should be able to access information about their care: patients and GPs must be equal partners in designing simpler, user-friendly systems to allow patients to see key information about their care, including being able to easily track specialist referrals. 

> Download the report