A nationwide survey by the Cyprus Federation of Patients’ Associations (Osak) has found generally high levels of satisfaction and trust among patients towards personal doctors within Gesy, while identifying communication and accessibility as areas requiring further improvement.

The findings of the survey, which were presented on Wednesday during a press conference organised by the federation, were based on 1,337 completed responses from beneficiaries across all districts and aimed to assess the quality of services provided under the institution of the personal doctor.

According to the survey conducted in November 2025, 93 per cent of respondents said they had been registered with the same personal doctor for more than a year, while 75 per cent said they had remained with the same doctor for more than two years. At the same time, 35 per cent said they had changed personal doctor at least once since joining Gesy.

The most common reasons cited for changing doctor were difficulties in communication, mentioned by 25 per cent of respondents, dissatisfaction with the doctor’s behaviour (20 per cent), and failure to provide assistance in an emergency (12 per cent).

The survey also found high levels of use of Gesy’s digital portal, with 79 per cent of participants saying they had access to their personal medical profile. In addition, 78 per cent described communication with their personal doctor as either “very easy” or “fairly easy”.

As regards waiting times, 53 per cent said they were able to secure an appointment either on the same day or the following day, while 87 per cent considered the waiting period for an appointment to be appropriate.

Overall satisfaction with the service remained high, with 96 per cent saying their needs had been met during their most recent appointment and 66 per cent saying they would not wish to change anything about the way they are served.

In terms of preventive care, 62 per cent said they had received advice on screening tests and 58 per cent said they had been advised on vaccinations. However, nearly one-third of respondents, or 32 per cent, said they had not received any preventive health advice from their personal doctor.

Based on the findings, Osak put forward a series of recommendations aimed at strengthening the institution of the personal doctor, focusing on communication with beneficiaries, greater use of digital tools and the promotion of preventive medicine.

Among other proposals, the federation called for the introduction of a binding response protocol for personal doctors and encouraged the use of alternative communication channels, including secretarial support and digital messaging. It also recommended further upgrades to the Gesy electronic portal to facilitate communication between doctors and beneficiaries.

Osak further proposed strengthening incentives for personal doctors to engage in preventive healthcare measures, such as vaccinations and screening programmes, and organising training programmes to improve communication skills.

According to the federation, strengthening primary healthcare services could also help ease pressure on accident and emergency departments.

Osak described the institution of the personal doctor as the “cornerstone” of Gesy, while stressing that improving communication, accessibility and preventive care remain essential for the further development of primary healthcare services.