Analysis shows that over a million GP appointments took place at least four weeks after they were booked last month
- For a total of 1.5 million appointments, patients had to wait a month or more
Analyzes show that more than a million GP appointments in November took place at least four weeks after booking.
At a total of 1.5 million appointments – one in twenty per month – patients had to wait a month or more.
The Liberal Democrats, who commissioned the analysis of the House of Commons Library figures, say that investment in practices in England for 2022/2023 was £350 million less in real terms than in 2018/19, and that average funding per patient fell £12. up to £165.
Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey said: ‘Being able to see your GP when you need to should be the cornerstone of the NHS.
‘That’s why the Liberal Democrats would give people the legal right to see their GP within seven days, or within 24 hours if urgently needed.’
For a total of 1.5 million appointments – one in twenty per month – patients had to wait a month or more (Stock Image)
Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey said: ‘Being able to see your GP when you need to should be the cornerstone of the NHS’
Professor Kamila Hawthorne, President of the Royal College of GPs, said: ‘Family medicine is the foundation of the NHS, and investing in it will lead to better health outcomes for patients and deliver amazing value to the NHS.’
She added that ‘cuts to primary care are negatively impacting communities with higher deprivation rates, worsening the situation for some of our most vulnerable patients’.
A spokesperson for the Department of Health and Social Care said: ‘We are committed to improving access to GPs, and we now provide an additional 50 million GP appointments each year.
‘The latest data shows that GP funding has increased by 19 per cent in real terms between 2017 and 2022, and our Primary Care Recovery Plan is investing £645 million to expand pharmaceutical services and take pressure off GP practices to take.’