However, most people said they had confidence and trust in their GPs and the majority were completely satisfied with the care they received in surgeries and health centres.

Those were some of the key findings from a national survey by the Healthcare Commission (HC), in which 69,000 patients from 152 Primary Care Trusts (PCTs) in England were polled on everything from appointments with their GP to waiting times and the relationship with NHS staff, as well as access to dentists.

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Alongside the results, the commission released on its website – for the first time – a national overview with comparative scores for all PCTs, the organisations which buy services from GPs and dentists.

The watchdog said the results would help trusts to understand the views of their patients and respond to any concerns.

Chief executive of the HC Anna Walker said the survey revealed the high regard many patients had for the services at their GP surgeries, but added that they wanted to be able to see their doctors more easily and at more convenient times.

She said: "It is clear that more people want to be able to book appointments several days ahead and that many want more flexible opening hours.

"In addition, a significant proportion of patients are not being offered a choice of hospital. These are issues that a modern, 21st-century health service ought to be able to address.

"Access to NHS dental care is also a continuing concern, and this survey shows where people are most worried about this around the country.

"Regular dental treatment is important for maintaining good oral hygiene. If a large proportion of people do not receive this treatment regularly, we could be facing a significant national health problem in years to come."

A spokesman for NHS Peterborough – the city's primary care trust – said it was pleased with the overall results and was aware of areas which received lower markings, and was working to improve them.

She said: "We agree that take-up of choice is poor, and we would urge patients who are referred for specialist treatment to discuss with their GP the options available to them and exercise their right to choose. This includes the choice of any hospital for their first outpatient appointment.

"We understand that patients feel that they are unable to access dentistry in Peterborough. However, this is not the case. There is significant NHS capacity and patients should visit www.nhs.uk or call 01733 758516 to find their nearest dentist with capacity.

"NHS Peterborough has some of the best results in the country for getting a GP appointment quickly. However, we do recognise there may be some difficulties for patients with booking appointments in advance and we are addressing this."

Healthcare Commission: National survey results
FOR each question in the survey, the individual responses were scored on a scale of 0 to 100.

The higher the score for each question, the better the primary care trust (PCT) is performing.

Peterborough PCT was ranked in the bottom 20 per cent for GP surgeries allowing patients to make appointments three or more days in advance (61.66 out of 100), for anyone explaining how long they had to wait once at the surgery (11.19), getting information about the purpose of their medicine (86.05), and if, when referred to a specialist, being offered a choice of hospital (29.41).

Patients were also unhappy about not being able to visit an NHS dentist if they wanted – scoring the PCT 49.66 out of 100, putting it in the lowest 20 per cent of all trusts.

However, the PCT fared better in some areas, with the majority of patients feeling they were seen by a doctor as soon as necessary (90.61), putting it in the top 20 per cent.

They also had positive experiences about the length of time they waited to be seen by a specialist when first referred to them, and having their blood pressure taken in the last 12 months.

Healthcare Commission website.