Materials for patients

Rebuild general practice before the NHS loses the family doctor for good

Sign our petition here:

https://www.change.org/p/rebuild-general-practice-before-the-nhs-loses-the-family-doctor-for-good?source_location=psf_petitions

Learn more about Rebuild General Practice and our petition below.

About this campaign

General practice is the front door to the NHS — but it is under increasing pressure. Patients are finding it harder to access care, and GPs are struggling to provide the continuity and quality of care they were trained to deliver.

Rebuild General Practice is a national campaign calling on government to restore capacity, protect continuity of care, and secure the future of the family doctor model.

This toolkit is designed to help patients, GPs, and partners share their experiences, raise awareness, and support the campaign.

The issue

New UK-wide polling shows a clear gap between what patients value and what the system is currently delivering.

Patients overwhelmingly want continuity — the ability to see the same GP over time — particularly for serious or ongoing conditions. But workforce shortages, rising demand, and increasing administrative burden are making this harder to achieve.

At the same time, policy direction is increasingly focused on access targets and digital-first models, which risk undermining relationship-based care if not matched with sufficient capacity.

Without action, general practice risks becoming more fragmented, more transactional, and less able to meet patient need.

What the public is saying

90% say vulnerable patients should be able to see the same GP
62% say it’s become harder to see the same GP in recent years
61% have struggled to get a GP appointment in the last 12 months
63% say waiting lists have grown
42% are pessimistic about whether their GP practice will meet their needs in future
28% say the biggest issue is a lack of GPs

These findings show strong public support for rebuilding capacity and protecting continuity of care.

Why continuity of care matters

Continuity of care is not a “nice to have” — it is a core part of safe, effective healthcare.

Seeing the same GP over time leads to:

Better health outcomes
Earlier diagnosis of serious conditions
Reduced hospital admissions
More efficient use of NHS resources

It also allows patients to build trust, share concerns more openly, and receive care that reflects their full medical history — not just a single appointment.

What needs to change

To rebuild general practice, we are calling for:

Investment in GP workforce and capacity
Protection of continuity of care within NHS policy
Reduced administrative burden and workload transfer
Realistic access expectations aligned with safe capacity
A renewed focus on relationship-based care

How you can support the campaign

1. Sign the petition

Add your name to call on government to act:
👉 https://www.change.org/p/rebuild-general-practice-before-the-nhs-loses-the-family-doctor-for-good

2. Share your experience

Your voice matters. Whether you are a patient or a healthcare professional, sharing your experience helps illustrate the reality behind the statistics.

You might want to talk about:

Difficulties accessing care
The importance of seeing the same GP
How general practice has changed
The impact of workload and pressure on care

Tell us about your story at hello@rebuildgp.co.uk.

3. Use your platform

We encourage you to share the campaign on social media, within your networks, and across your organisation. We've drafted some templates and assets for you to use below.