Published 24th February 2026

The Patients Association and the Royal College of GPs have launched a joint report calling for the NHS to be easier to navigate - as well as improving access to GP care and continuity.

The report, "It Shouldn't Be This Hard": Solving the NHS maze for patients and GPs", puts forward three shared priorities based on patient and GP feedback:   

• 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. 

Read the report here.