Did a national extended access scheme translate to improvements in patient experience to GP services in England? A retrospective observational study using patient-level data from the English GP patient survey.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Improving access to general practitioner (GP) services is seen as a way to enhance patients' experiences. England introduced the national extended access scheme to provide routine and urgent GP appointments outside core hours. However, little is known about how this initiative affects patient experience, especially in terms of efficiency and equity. This study aimed to estimate the differential effects of extended access appointments on patient-reported satisfaction, focusing on different service delivery types to assess efficiency and on patient characteristics to evaluate equity of access.

Methods

A retrospective observational study was conducted using data from the English GP Patient Survey (GPPS) (2018 and 2019), linked with data on extended access from NHS re

SUBMITTER: Mou L 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11889905 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature