Patients in rural areas are generally happier with their GP and local practice than those in suburban districts, according to a new analysis.

Researchers at the University of Aberdeen said the findings might help recruitment to work in remote parts of the countryside. They report that patients were “significantly more satisfied” in all questions about patient satisfaction in a large, regular Scottish survey.

Rural patients were also more likely to respond to the survey than those in the cities. Response rates from the countryside were 31% compared with 18% in Scotland’s large cities. The survey involved 766 practices and has been running since 2009. The researchers found that rural patients were the most satisfied – while those living in suburban areas and small towns were the least happy with the services they received.

Researcher Isha Iqbal said: “This research is important because recruitment to rural general practice has always been difficult, and this study demonstrates that rural patients are particularly likely to appreciate the comprehensive care that their GP offers. Additionally, the study provides some evidence that personal continuity of care, which is under threat in general practices in some areas, is greatly appreciated by patients and is more likely to be achieved in rural and remote areas. However further studies are required to understand the underlying reasons for the findings, this could include looking at socioeconomic factors which could influence a patient’s expectations of the health service.”

Fellow researcher Professor Philip Wilson, director of the university’s Centre for Rural Health, said: “This service provides care to almost the entire population. Finding consistently higher satisfaction with remote and rural general practice is important. It provides a very positive message to new doctors considering a career in rural general practice. It appears that personal continuity of care, which we know is strongly correlated with good health outcomes, is also very connected with overall satisfaction and this is another very important message for the health service more generally.”