Trust matters: A practice-level look at patient confidence in health professionals

About this episode

The episode discusses patient confidence and trust in health professionals based on a study of English general practices.

Today, we’re speaking to Professor Richard Baker, emeritus Professor at the University of Leicester. Title of paper: Factors influencing confidence and trust in health professionals: a cross-sectional study of English general practices. Available at: https://doi.org/10.3399/BJGP.2025.0154 A transactional model of general practice is being introduced to improve access that involves triage and increasing percentages of appointments with professionals other than GPs or that are not face-to-face. Using summary data about almost all English general practices in 2023-24 with 750 or more patients, the patient-reported levels of confidence and trust from the General Practice Patient Survey were associated with increased percentages of appointments that were with GPs or were face-to-face, and with higher continuity, after adjusting for other practice and patient factors. Confidence and trust was lower in practices with fewer appointments per year per patient, fewer patients having their needs met, greater deprivation, fewer patients of White ethnicity, and in practices located in London, as compared to other regions of England. Access to general practice needs improving, but the findings…

People in this episode

Guest: Professor Richard Baker

Topics covered

• patient confidence
• health professionals
• general practice
• trust
• access to healthcare

Keywords

• patient confidence
• trust in healthcare
• general practice
• health professionals
• access to healthcare

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: University of Leicester, General Practice Patient Survey

Books & works: Factors influencing confidence and trust in health professionals: a cross-sectional study of English general practices

Places: London, England

More episodes of BJGP Interviews

• When mothers need more: Postnatal care and complex social needs · June 9, 2026 · 22 min
• Seeing skin differently: Eczema, acne and psoriasis in skin of colour · June 2, 2026 · 15 min
• ‘It’s not just thrush’: Navigating recurrent vulvovaginal thrush in primary care · May 26, 2026 · 18 min
• ‘They knew me’: Relationships, continuity and dementia care · May 19, 2026 · 13 min
• Choosing general practice: What shapes medical student decisions? · May 12, 2026 · 16 min
• Looking back at the BJGP Research Conference 2026 · March 24, 2026 · 12 min