Patients are being seen more quickly at times and places convenient to them, according to the first progress report on NHS primary care.
Ninety seven per cent of patients now see a GP within two working days compared to 75 per cent two years ago.
Last year, more than 700,000 procedures were carried out in local surgeries rather than hospital, and more than 40 NHS Walk-in Centres are offering patients advice and treatment without the need for an appointment.
A responsive and high-quality local NHS - The primary care progress report 2004 -has been produced by national clinical director for primary care David Colin-Thome.
Significant achievements have been made by primary care staff in what Dr Colin-Thome describes as an "unprecedented improvement"
in the service.
"Combined with this, there have been big advances in the quality of care patients receive,"
he says. "Looking to the future, our vision is for a responsive, high-quality primary care service that meets patients' health care needs, close to their home, wherever they like, whatever their circumstances and whatever the time of day or night."
The report details how over the last four years primary care has continued to expand and improve, providing a wider range of services than ever before. It illustrates the progress in primary care with details of increases in staff numbers and how more GPs are providing specialist services. It also highlights how the patient experience has improved through increased access and practice refurbishment, with a 90 per cent satisfaction rate reported among patients.
Further work is needed to continue the momentum of improvement and growth, and to tackle issues such as chronic disease and health inequalities, says Dr Colin-Thome.
New primary care contracts will help meet the challenge of health inequalities, rewarding the quality of services provided, and massive new investment will enable further improvements in access, service provision and patient experience to be made.
