GP Access Desktop Study

Report - 30 July 2025

Access to GP services remains a pressing concern for patients in Nottingham and Nottinghamshire, as it does across the country. Even with continued investment and policy focus at both national and regional levels to reform and strengthen primary care, many patients still face difficulties booking appointments, navigating appointment systems and accessing timely, appropriate care.

About the Report

We conducted a desk-based review of 59 GP practices across Nottingham and Nottinghamshire Integrated Care System (ICS) footprint, covering approximately 66% of all registered patients in the region. This report builds on HWNN’s previous work on primary care and assesses how local practices are progressing in implementing the aims of the NHS England Delivery Plan for Recovering Access to Primary Care, 2023. The report offers a snapshot of local implementation focusing on practical touchpoints such as telephone and online booking, the availability and choice of appointment types, and the quality of information provided on practice websites.

 

Key Findings

  • Telephone access varied widely: The shortest wait being less than a minute, however the longest being over an hour. While 42% practices answered within five minutes, 21% recorded a waiting time of over 30 minutes.
  • Digital telephony inconsistencies: Call-back availability was not offered by more than 60% practices, however 86% stated the callers queue position.
  • Online request responsiveness is inconsistent: Around half the practices do not respond to online appointment requests on the same day, which risks undermining trust in digital access routes.
  • Patient choice in appointment format is limited in reality: While 80.7% of practices say they offer a choice of appointment type (e.g. face-to-face, telephone), decisions often remain with GP staff after triage.
  • Practice websites vary widely in clarity, content, and accessibility: Most websites explain general appointment processes and include key pages, but only 22% mention response times to online requests and less than half provide details about interpreter or chaperone services. Translation tools are available on 88% of GP websites, but their usability and visibility differ.

Recommendations

  • Expand use of call-back features
  • Enable appointment booking throughout opening hours
  • Fully deploy NHS App booking and improve visibility
  • Respond to online requests promptly (same-day)
  • Offer all three booking modes (telephone, online, in-person)
  • Honour patient appointments preferences (face-to-face, telephone, video)
  • Improve website clarity and accessibility: A clear and collaboratively developed Patient Charter

Downloads

If you need this document in an alternative format please contact info@hwnn.co.uk or call 0115 956 5313.

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GP Access Desktop Study
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Downloads

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GP Access Desktop Study Presentation
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