GP Appointment Access in Dorset
Real NHS England GP appointment data for NHS Dorset Integrated Care Board, April 2026 β South West NHS region.
How long does it take to get a GP appointment in Dorset?
As of April 2026, 42.3% of GP appointments in the NHS Dorset Integrated Care Board area took place on the same day they were booked (England average 44.6%), with 60.3% face-to-face and 11.5% waiting 28+ days, from 497,820 appointments. Source: NHS England, April 2026.
| Measure | Dorset | England average |
|---|---|---|
| Same-day appointments | 42.3% | 44.6% |
| Within 7 days of booking | 61.7% | 68.7% |
| Waited more than 28 days | 11.5% | 6.3% |
| Face-to-face | 60.3% | 60.8% |
| Telephone | 15.3% | 24.0% |
| Video / online | 19.7% | 11.4% |
| Did not attend (DNA) | 2.9% | 4.1% |
| Total appointments | 497,820 | 29,909,065 |
Same-day GP access in Dorset is 2.3pp below the England average of 44.6%.
Compare GP access across ICBs
See how your area's same-day, face-to-face and 28+ day rates compare to the England average and to every other ICB.
Other ICBs in the South West region
- Gloucestershire (40.8% same-day, 56.5/100)
- Somerset (40.1% same-day, 45.8/100)
- Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire (39.1% same-day, 43.7/100)
- Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly (44.1% same-day, 43.7/100)
- Devon (44.9% same-day, 24.9/100)
- Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire (37.5% same-day, 19.8/100)
- South West region overview β
GP appointment access in Dorset: frequently asked questions
- How long does it take to get a GP appointment in Dorset?
- In April 2026, 42.3% of GP appointments in the NHS Dorset Integrated Care Board area took place on the same day they were booked (England average 44.6%), and 61.7% happened within 7 days. 11.5% waited more than 28 days, from 497,820 recorded appointments. Source: NHS England Appointments in General Practice, April 2026.
- What percentage of GP appointments in Dorset are face-to-face?
- In April 2026, 60.3% of GP appointments in NHS Dorset Integrated Care Board were face to face, 15.3% by telephone and 19.7% by video or online β compared with an England average of 60.8% face-to-face. Source: NHS England Appointments in General Practice, April 2026.
- Is it harder to see a GP in Dorset than elsewhere in England?
- NHS Dorset Integrated Care Board has a Gera GP Access Score of 52.2 out of 100, ranking 23 of 35 English ICBs for overall GP access (1 = easiest). Its same-day appointment rate of 42.3% ranks 24 of 35. The score is computed transparently from the real NHS England April 2026 appointment data.
- What is the GP appointment did-not-attend rate in Dorset?
- In April 2026, 2.9% of GP appointments in NHS Dorset Integrated Care Board were recorded as "did not attend" (14,552 missed appointments), against an England average of 4.1%. 92.2% of appointments were attended. Source: NHS England Appointments in General Practice, April 2026.
Struggling to get a GP appointment in Dorset?
Only 42.3% of GP appointments in Dorset are same-day. GeraClinic connects you to a UK-registered GP online β often in under 30 minutes, including evenings and weekends.
Contains public sector information published by NHS England and licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: NHS England β Appointments in General Practice (April 2026, published 28 May 2026).