OBJECTIVES: To assess the prevalence of uncontrolled GORD in UK primary care, describe the treatments used to achieve symptom control and characterise the impact of reflux symptoms on work productivity. METHODS: Data were collected on a randomly selected sample of 308 patients who had visited their primary care doctor due to reflux-related upper gastrointestinal symptoms. Patients independently completed four patient-reported outcome (PRO) questionnaires: Reflux Disease Questionnaire (RDQ), Extra-oesophageal Questions (XQS), GORD Impact Scale (GIS) and the Work Productivity and Activity Impairment GORD (WPAI-GORD) questionnaire. A clinician assessment of GORD symptom severity and frequency was also made during a medical consultation.   RESULTS: Using the RDQ, 27% (84/308) of patients were identified with uncontrolled GORD (defined as moderate-to-severe GORD symptoms that occurred at least 3 to 4 days a week). Age, sex, smoking status, alcohol consumption, BMI and education were not predictive of GORD symptom control. 55% (46/84) of patients with uncontrolled GORD were prescribed a proton pump inhibitor. Omeprazole and lansoprazole were prescribed for 80% (37/46) of these patients. Absence from work and reduced productivity at work due to uncontrolled GORD accounted for 7.6 lost hours a week and was estimated to cost the UK economy an average of €109/patient/week. CONCLUSIONS: Uncontrolled GORD is prevalent in primary care despite the availability of effective treatment strategies and guidance from the National Institute of Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE). The wider adoption of PRO questionnaires may help primary care doctors identify those patients with GORD that are most severely affected. This could lead to improvements in patient care and may benefit healthcare resource utilisation and work productivity.