By now, you’ve hopefully had a chance to pause and review your 2025 GP Patient Survey results. Whether you’re feeling encouraged or concerned, this is your opportunity to act with clarity and confidence. The Care Quality Commission (CQC) expects practices to review their results and respond meaningfully—and we’re here to help you turn that expectation into practical steps.
🧭 What Should You Be Doing Now?
Start with a structured analysis of each survey question. There are two key comparisons to make:
- How do your results compare to last year?
- How do they compare to the national average?
Where you’re below either benchmark—especially where results fall significantly short of the national average—these are your signals to develop either:
- 📈 An Improvement Plan (for moderate underperformance)
- 🔁 A Recovery Plan (for significant deviation)
Don’t overlook your wins. Make sure you also record:
✅ Where you’ve improved year-on-year
✅ Where you’re exceeding or in line with national averages
✅ The actions that helped—for example, did a new telephone system or aligned staff rotas to peak demand make a difference?
This is gold dust for your CQC evidence folder.
Tip: RAG rate (Red, Amber, Green) each question and outcome. Use this to prioritise focus and capture actions in your Business-as-Usual projects or QI log.
🧠 What If the Data Feels… Off?
You might notice some results just don’t sit right. Perhaps they don’t reflect what you’re hearing locally from patients. That’s okay—and actually a great opportunity.
👉 Consider running a local survey to dig deeper.
“The national survey highlighted some challenges around access by phone. We’d love to hear directly from a wide range of our patients—how is it working for you right now?”
Frame your outreach in a kind, compassionate way that invites diverse voices. This isn’t about disputing the national data—it’s about understanding your community better.
🎉 Don’t Hide the Good Stuff
If you’ve made meaningful improvements—shout about them!
💬 Share on social media
📌 Post in your practice newsletter
🤝 Talk about them with your PPG
But remember: compare only to yourself and the national average—no need to compete with your neighbours. Pair your celebrations with honest conversation around the areas you’re still working on.
And if you’d like some help turning patient energy into real partnership…
🛠️ Grab our PPG Playbook (Playbooks | CQC Confidence Community) — it’s designed to help you build a structured, supported and engaged Patient Participation Group.
✋ You Don’t Have to Do This Alone
This process can feel daunting—but it doesn’t have to. Join our Inner Circle to access templates, support, audits, and peer insight as you work through your results and action plans.
Let this year’s results be a launchpad, not a landmine.