From Then to Now: My Granny Joyce at 101 years old: How GP Access Has Changed
At 101 years old, my granny Joyce has lived through a century of change, wars, inventions, social shifts, a pandemic, and of course, the evolution of our healthcare system. Recently, I had the privilege of capturing an audio of her reflecting on something many of us take for granted today: she talked about her experiences of accessing her GP. I captured this as part of my ‘how things have changed’ series:
Her memories are vivid. She speaks of a time when seeing a doctor was far more personal, but not always as quick or straightforward as we might expect today. There were fewer systems, fewer technologies, and often much more waiting and uncertainty. Yet there was also a deep sense of familiarity, doctors who knew families across generations, and care that felt rooted in the community.
Fast forward to today, and things feel very different.
There is some good news. Recent data shows that 76.8% of people now describe contacting their GP as easy, the highest level since records began (NHS England, 2024). Behind the scenes, there has been a big push to improve access, with national plans and targets driving change across general practice (NHS England, 2023). This improvement doesn’t exist in isolation. Alongside the data, the Office for National Statistics has published a thematic analysis of people’s experiences of GP services, as well as an interactive dashboard that allows a deeper dive into how people are engaging with primary care today (Office for National Statistics, 2024).
But numbers only tell part of the story.
The Promise and the Problem of Digital Access
Through my own work in electronic triage, I’ve seen how digital access can really improve things for some people. Being able to go online, submit a request, and avoid the 8am phone queue has made a huge difference, especially for those juggling work, caring responsibilities, or busy lives.
I’ve felt that personally, too. Supporting Joyce’s care, I’ve been able to contact the GP without spending hours on hold in the morning. Recently, I even spoke to a digital assistant called “Emma,” who quickly gathered the information needed and directed me to the right place. It was efficient, simple, and, honestly, quite impressive.
But this isn’t everyone’s experience, and that’s where the challenge lies.
For some people, digital systems create new barriers. If you don’t have access to a device, struggle with technology, or face language challenges, what is meant to make things easier can actually make them harder. There’s a real risk of widening health inequalities if we’re not careful. Digital poverty is real, and the drive to digital can unintentionally deepen existing barriers to access that many patients still experience.
We’re moving into new territory, and not everyone feels comfortable with it. For some, these systems can feel confusing, impersonal, even a bit alien. That’s why it’s so important that as services change, we keep listening to patients, making sure their voices shape what comes next (The King’s Fund, 2023).
In my own work, I’ve often used tools like the NASSS-CAT framework (Greenhalgh et al 2017) to think through the complexity of digital change, because introducing new technology isn’t just about efficiency, it’s about how it fits into people’s lives, capabilities, and contexts.
Necessity often drives innovation. Government targets and contractual frameworks focused on improving access to GP services have accelerated this shift, alongside wider policy direction such as the NHS “Fit for the Future” plan, which emphasises a transition from analogue to digital models of care (NHS England, 2019).
But listening to my granny Joyce, you’re reminded of something simple and important: access isn’t just about how quickly you can get throughit’s about how you feel when you do. Recently, a GP came to see her to talk through her care plan. She said afterwards, “He took the time to sit with me and really listen, I felt like I mattered.”
Her reflections make me wonder:
Have we gained convenience at the cost of connection?
Are we balancing efficiency with empathy?
And how do we ensure that improvements in access benefit everyone, across generations and do not inadvertently widen health inequalities?
Because healthcare isn’t just about systems and statistics.
It’s about people, stories, and the relationships that shape our well-being over a lifetime.
“As we design the future of access, we must design it with everyone in mind.”
References
Greenhalgh, T. et al. (2017). Beyond adoption: a new framework for theorising and evaluating non-adoption, abandonment, and challenges to the scale-up, spread, and sustainability of health and care technologies. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 19(11), e367. Available at: https://www.jmir.org/2017/11/e367/
NHS England (2024) Health Insight Survey: Public experience of GP access. Available at: https://www.england.nhs.uk
NHS England (2023). Medium-Term Planning Framework for General Practice. Available at: https://www.england.nhs.uk/
NHS England (2019). The NHS Long Term Plan (“Fit for the Future”). Available at: https://www.longtermplan.nhs.uk/
Office for National Statistics (2024). Experiences of GP services in England: thematic analysis and interactive dashboard. Available at: https://www.ons.gov.uk/
The King’s Fund (2023). Public satisfaction and access to general practice. Available at: https://www.kingsfund.org.uk/
