1 month ago
One successful 20 patients are being forced to hold astatine slightest 4 weeks for a GP appointment, damning figures show.
The number of patients facing lengthy waits of a period aliases much has rocketed by 38 per cent successful nan past twelvemonth – from 12.8 to 17.6million appointments.
In parts of nan state specified arsenic nan Vale of York, four-week waits person rocketed by 80 per cent complete nan aforesaid period, according to study of NHS data.
Meanwhile, much than 60million consultations took spot aft waits of astatine slightest a fortnight, an summation of 22 per cent.
Patient groups said nan lengthy waits are further grounds of 'GP deserts' and warned nan work risks 'going nan aforesaid measurement arsenic NHS dentistry'.
The study looked astatine nan clip betwixt a GP assignment being booked and nan day it took place, surgery down by section NHS areas crossed England.
Every azygous section area successful nan state saw a emergence successful four-week GP waits successful 2023 compared to nan erstwhile year, according to investigation by nan Liberal Democrats.
It intends 1 successful 20 (5.1 per cent) of nan almost 348 cardinal GP appointments past twelvemonth progressive waits of 4 weeks aliases more.
In immoderate areas – including Gloucestershire, Derbyshire and Sheffield, South Yorkshire, almost 1 successful 10 consultations were four-week waits.
The Vale of York saw nan highest summation successful GP waits of 4 weeks aliases much astatine 79 per cent, pinch 103,646 successful 2023 compared to 57,779 successful 2022.
Similarly, two-week waits jumped from 40 per cent from 263,758 to 369,231 complete nan aforesaid period.
Bury successful Greater Manchester saw a 74 per cent summation successful four-week waits, East Leicestershire and Rutland saw a 69 per cent jump, and Blackpool, Lancashire, a 68 per cent increase.
In nan Prime Minister's ain backyard of North Yorkshire, location was a 56 per cent emergence successful four-week GP waits compared to nan erstwhile year.
Dennis Reed, head of nan over-60s run group Silver Voices, said: 'The business complete entree to GPs is becoming a sick joke.
'Patients experiencing thing different than mild symptoms cannot strengthen a 4 aliases 5 week hold to spot a GP.'
The business is forcing group to bypass their GP, he said, often by going consecutive to A&E, paying to spell backstage aliases attempting to dainty themselves utilizing nan internet.
He added: 'We are already seeing GP deserts develop, arsenic this investigation shows, and we will soon spot a akin business to NHS dentistry wherever it is almost intolerable to entree an NHS GP.'
A study by nan King's Fund past week recovered only a 3rd of group are satisfied pinch GP services, nan lowest successful much than 4 decades.
Long waits for appointments were 1 of nan cardinal reasons fixed for nan mediocre ratings, pinch restitution successful GP services falling by 34 percent points since 2019.
The NHS says it is delivering much GP appointments than ever and that immoderate non-urgent appointments, specified arsenic vaccinations, are booked further successful advance.
Dr Victoria Tzortziou-Brown, Vice Chair of nan Royal College of GPs, said galore appointments made respective weeks up are wholly appropriate, for illustration for regular aliases reappraisal appointments.
'But we are worried that galore patients study struggling to spot their GP - and that they don't person capable clip pinch america erstwhile they do unafraid an appointment,' she said.
'The bottommost statement is that we don't person capable GPs to support up pinch nan increasing request for our care, and patients are emotion nan effect most.'
The mean number of patients per afloat qualified GP is now 2,298, meaning each GP is connected mean responsible for 158 much patients than they were 5 years ago, she added.
A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: 'We are committed to improving entree to GPs, and acknowledgment to sticking pinch our scheme for a faster, simpler, fairer healthcare system, we are now delivering 50 cardinal much GP appointments per year.
'Our Primary Care Recovery Plan, backed by £645 cardinal complete 2 years, marks a awesome finance into superior attraction services. This includes expanding nan services offered by organization pharmacies done Pharmacy First which will thief free up to 10 cardinal GP appointments per year.
'We are besides investing £240 cardinal connected integer tools, telephony and training to guarantee GP surgeries person what they request to amended entree for patients.'
