Government accused of ‘not getting to grips with the crisis’ as six million a month give up GP visit

Nearly six million people a month give up going to the doctor because of long waiting times for an appointment, according to figures.

Others do not seek help because they cannot reach a receptionist or are afraid of being a burden on the overburdened NHS.

A survey of 4,494 adults by the Office for National Statistics found that 43 per cent of those who needed a GP appointment in the past month said it was ‘difficult’ or ‘very difficult’ to get one.

One in five adults – equivalent to 10 million Britons – who were required to contact their practice decided not to. Of these, 56 percent (or 5.6 million) blamed long wait times for an appointment.

A further 26 per cent were unable to contact their operation and 24 per cent were concerned about a burden on the NHS.

About 57 percent of those who decided not to contact their GP opted to self-treat their condition.

Another 22 percent sought advice on the Internet, 13 percent asked friends or family for guidance, and 5 percent resorted to private treatment.

Dennis Reed, from Silver Voices, which campaigns for the elderly, said: ‘The government is not getting a handle on the crisis over access to GPs. Surfing the internet instead of seeing a doctor can be very dangerous.’

A Ministry of Health spokesman said: ‘We are making real progress in ensuring that patients see their GP soon, with almost two million more GP appointments compared to this time last year.

‘We are also boosting the number of GPs, with hundreds more GPs than last year [and] record numbers at training.’