TOPLINE:

Patients unsure of their healthcare provider during consultations were less likely to report confidence and trust and that their needs were met, especially in remote consultations.

METHODOLOGY:

• Researchers conducted a secondary analysis of data from the 2023 GP patient survey and involved 759,149 patients aged 16 years or older across 6418 English GP practices.
• The analysis focused on understanding how different types of health professionals and appointment modes in general practices affected patient-reported trust and perceived needs being met.
• Participants were asked about their last appointment, including the type of health professional seen (such as a GP, nurse, mental health professional, general practice pharmacist, or another healthcare professional) and the mode of consultation (such as on the phone, face to face at the same or a different practice location, video calls, or home visits).
• The survey included questions regarding patient confidence and trust in the healthcare professional and whether their needs were met.
• Overall, 67% of patients had their last appointment with a GP and 9% reported that their needs were not met.

TAKEAWAY:

• Patients who saw a nurse had higher odds of reporting confidence and trust (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 1.33; 95% CI, 1.29-1.37) and that their needs were met (aOR, 1.45; 95% CI, 1.41-1.49) than those who saw a GP.
• Remote consultations, such as phone or video calls, were associated with a decrease in the odds of patients reporting confidence and trust (aOR, 0.56; 95% CI, 0.55-0.57 for phone consultations and aOR, 0.48; 95% CI, 0.42-0.55 for video calls).
• The highest levels of confidence and trust were reported by patients when their last appointment was with a nurse and conducted in person at their GP practice (aOR, 1.57; 95% CI, 1.51-1.62).
• Patients uncertain about the type of health professional they saw reported lower confidence and trust, with the odds reducing by up to 80% for remote consultations compared with in-person GP visits (aOR, 0.19; 95% CI, 0.15-0.25).

IN PRACTICE:

"What is clear is that more effective communication is needed from GP practices and from policy at a national level to build public awareness and confidence in new staff roles," the authors wrote.

SOURCE:

This study was led by Charlotte Paddison, PhD, Nuffield Trust, London, England. It was published online on December 19, 2025, in the British Journal of General Practice.

LIMITATIONS:

There may be potential baseline trust differences among patients seeing mental health professionals compared with those seeing GPs or nurses. The survey lacked detailed information on all health professional roles, thereby limiting the ability to make granular comparisons. Some patients may have forgotten who they saw, affecting the accuracy of their responses. The number of respondents for certain appointment types, such as home visits or online messages, may be limited.

DISCLOSURES:

This study did not receive any specific funding. One author reported being an associate non-executive director of the Royal Papworth Hospital NHS Foundation Trust.

This article was created using several editorial tools, including AI, as part of the process. Human editors reviewed this content before publication.