Commercial out-of-hours GP services 'provide worse care'

  • Health
More than 900,000 patients answered a questionnaire on their experiences of out-of hours GP care Credit: PA Wire

Private providers of out-of-hours GP care in England are giving patients a poorer service than NHS surgeries or those that are not-for-profit, according to a study.

Research led by the University of Exeter Medical School saw more than 900,000 patients answer a questionnaire on their experiences of out-of hours GP care in the past six months.

Participants were asked about the timeliness of receiving care; the level of confidence and trust in the out-of-hours clinician; and their overall experience of the out-of-hours GP service.

The study found commercial providers of out of hours care were associated with poorer reports of patient experience compared with not for profit providers.

Overall, NHS providers scored slightly higher than not for profit providers.