There is a great disparity in how easy it is to get through to your GP surgery in Suffolk - here are the latest results.

Many patients in Suffolk said they felt it was easy to contact their surgery, but two surgeries in the county were rated less than 20% in this category.

This was according to the annual GP Patient Survey, run by Ipsos on behalf of NHS England.

The survey takes in the views of patients on medical care, involvement in treatment, satisfaction with appointments offered, and overall experience.

In Suffolk, patients said the easiest surgeries to contact were Wickham Market Medical Centre, Bildeston Health Centre and Fressingfield Medical Centre, with more than 90% of patients agreeing it was easy to get through by telephone. 

Two of these - Wickham Market and Bildeston - were also rated the best in Suffolk for patient satisfaction, with 92% describing the overall experience at the surgery as good.

On the other hand, only 11% of patients said it was easy to get through on the phone to Cardinal Medical Practice in Ipswich, the largest surgery group in the town.

A spokesman for the NHS Suffolk and North East Essex Integrated Care Board said: “This year’s GP Patient Survey results highlight that patients in our area reported finding it easier to get through to their GP practice by phone than in many other parts of the country, and that 75% of patients reported a good or very good overall experience of using their GP practice.

“Considering the challenges faced in primary care right now these are very positive results and we remain incredibly grateful to the practice staff who work so hard and to patients for their understanding.

“We know too, though, that within these survey data there remains variation in levels of patient satisfaction, and we’ll continue to work with those practices who need any extra support."