In 2024, a survey by Healthwatch England found that a significant proportion of people had avoided seeing a GP in the past year — not because of access issues, but because of emotional ones.
The top reasons people gave? Fear of wasting the doctor's time. Not wanting to make a fuss. Anxiety about what they might find out.
"I didn't want to bother them"
This phrase comes up again and again in research on healthcare avoidance. There's a deeply embedded cultural belief — particularly in the UK — that going to the doctor should be reserved for serious illness. That a concern has to reach a certain threshold before it's "worth" bringing up.
The consequence is that people wait. They wait until something minor becomes significant. They wait until a conversation that might have taken five minutes requires a referral, a test, and six weeks of worry.
The role of past experiences
For many people, avoidance is shaped by negative past experiences. Being told their symptoms were "nothing to worry about" when they were worried. Being rushed out before they finished explaining. Feeling like they weren't listened to.
Once that trust is broken, the barrier to re-entry becomes much higher.
Shame and stigma
For mental health concerns, sexual health, and anything touching on weight, alcohol, or lifestyle, many patients feel a layer of shame before they've even made the appointment. They anticipate judgment — even when, in reality, GPs are trained specifically not to judge.
This anticipatory shame is one of the most powerful barriers to care.
What helps
Research suggests that anything which lowers the activation energy around booking and attending appointments makes a real difference. Clearer language. More accessible routes in. Reminders that symptoms — however "minor" they feel — are worth raising.
And crucially: helping patients feel more confident and prepared when they walk in. When you know what you're going to say, the prospect of the appointment feels less daunting.
That's part of why we built IMA Ready. Not just to improve the consultation itself, but to reduce the anxiety that stops people getting there in the first place.