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The proportion of people seeing their GP face-to-face has risen to its highest level since the start of the pandemic, official figures show.
Two-thirds of appointments with family doctors in England last month were in-person, according to the latest data from NHS Digital. The 66.1 per cent figure is still well below the 80 per cent average before the pandemic struck.
However, it is the highest rate since March 2020, when the UK was plunged into its first national lockdown as the coronavirus swept across the country.
Campaigners and the Government have long-demanded that GPs return to pre-pandemic levels.
Meanwhile, nearly half of appointments last month lasted less than 10 minutes in some practices — including some in Leicester, Nottingham and Suffolk.
Appointments are supposed to last 10 to 15 minutes, with an NHS review finding that patients feel they are unable to cover their health problems in a shorter timeframe.
It warned that this could lead to patients booking additional appointments, clogging up the availability of family doctors.
Two-thirds of appointments with family doctors in England last month were in-person, according to the latest data from NHS Digital. The 66.1 per cent figure is still well below the 80 per cent average before the pandemic struck. However, it is the highest rate since March 2020, when the UK was plunged into its first national lockdown as the coronavirus swept across the country
Some 48.5 per cent of appointments in August were with family doctors, while the same proportion were with other practice staff, such as nurses. The mode was not logged for three per cent of consultations
The health service data shows that 26.5million people in England attended a GP appointment in August.
The proportion of patients seen in-person jumped one per cent between July and August, from 65.4 to 66.1 per cent.
Nearly 8million (30 per cent) were conducted over the phone — the lowest rate since the start of the pandemic — while 200,000 were a home visit (0.8 per cent).
Some 150,000 were video calls (0.6 per cent), while the mode was not logged 670,000 consultations (2.5 per cent).
The rate of in-person appointments fell to a low of 46.7 per cent in April 2020, as Britons were ordered to stay at home in the early days of the crisis.
But it has been trending upwards since, reaching 60.1 per cent in January.
Campaigners have demanded ministers act to bring levels back up, warning virtual consultations risk missing tell-tale symptoms of serious illnesses.
The data also revealed that more than four in 10 appointments lasted less than 10 minutes last month.
At the worst hit surgeries — located in Leicestershire and Rutland, Nottinghamshire and Suffolk and North East Essex — up to 43.5 per cent of appointments were over within that timeframe.
Doctors warn that squeezing in too many appointments raises the risk of missing diseases and prescribing the wrong drugs.
The NHS says most GPs offer 10 to 15 minute appointments, which gives them enough time to see a patient, complete the consultation and deal with any admin.
Meanwhile, 48.5 per cent of appointments were with family doctors, while the same proportion were with other practice staff, such as nurses.
Ruth Rankine, director of primary care at the NHS Confederation, said NHS staff have made ‘significant strides’ in ‘recovering and restoring access to general practice’.
She said: ‘Primary care teams continue to carry out record levels of appointments.’
Ms Rankine added: ‘As we approach what we know will be a particularly difficult winter where the UK Health Security Agency is urging over 30million people to get a Covid and flu vaccine to boost protection levels, it is now more important than ever that the Government starts supporting primary care services so they can deliver these vital programmes.’
‘This includes fully resourcing its workforce and providing the capital investment general practice desperately needs.’
The new data comes after shadow health secretary Wes Streeting pledged that patients would find it easier to see GPs under a Labour government.
Mr Streeting said he would seek to force GPs to provide appointments in their surgeries to every patient that requests one.
He also pledged to make booking appointments simpler to end the 8am rush to win a slot.
He told the Labour Party conference in Liverpool: ‘Patients deserve better than a two-week wait to see a GP.
‘I have higher standards for patients. When we were in government, Labour guaranteed appointments within two days.
‘So Labour will give all patients the ability to book online, the opportunity to self-refer to specialist services where appropriate, and a wider range of choice so that we can choose whether we want to see someone face-to-face, or on the phone, or via a video link.
‘The days of waiting on the phone at 8am to book an appointment with your GP will be over and we will bring back the family doctor.’
Health Secretary Therese Coffey last week set out plans for patients to see a GP within two weeks, and said people will be able to see how well their GP practice performs compared with others, potentially allowing them to join a different one.
But Ms Coffey said the new target was an ‘expectation’ and GPs who fail to offer appointments to patients within two weeks will not face any sanctions.
It comes as the NHS admitted that a law student died after wrongly being denied a face-to-face GP appointment.
David Nash, 26, from Nantwich in Cheshire, had four phone appointments with GPs and nurses between October and November 2020.
He told practice staff that he was suffering excruciating ear and neck pain and slurring his words but was denied an in-person consultation.
He died from a brain abscess two days after his last contact with his GP surgery. Relatives say it was triggered by an ear infection.
An internal NHS England probe into Mr Nash’s death concluded that ‘a face-to-face assessment should have been offered or organised’.
| GP Practice Region | Total Appointments in August | Appointments lasting less than 10 minutes | Percentage lasting less than 10 minutes |
|---|---|---|---|
| NHS Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland ICB – 04V | 192,720 | 83793 | 43.50% |
| NHS Nottingham and Nottinghamshire ICB – 02Q | 51,943 | 22532 | 43.40% |
| NHS Suffolk and North East Essex ICB – 07K | 113,023 | 48850 | 43.20% |
| NHS Suffolk and North East Essex ICB – 06L | 170,964 | 72860 | 42.60% |
| NHS North East and North Cumbria ICB – 84H | 289,018 | 123100 | 42.60% |
| NHS West Yorkshire ICB – 02T | 100,023 | 42157 | 42.10% |
| NHS North East and North Cumbria ICB – 16C | 297,081 | 124409 | 41.90% |
| NHS Hampshire and Isle Of Wight ICB – 10R | 76,347 | 31679 | 41.50% |
| NHS Mid and South Essex ICB – 06Q | 154,099 | 63836 | 41.40% |
| NHS Suffolk and North East Essex Integrated Care Board | 439,404 | 181716 | 41.40% |
| NHS Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland Integrated Care Board | 534,046 | 220210 | 41.20% |
| NHS Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland ICB – 04C | 178,359 | 73512 | 41.20% |
| NHS Nottingham and Nottinghamshire Integrated Care Board | 508,884 | 208754 | 41.00% |
| NHS South Yorkshire ICB – 03L | 127,491 | 52258 | 41.00% |
| NHS Mid and South Essex ICB – 99F | 65,539 | 26797 | 40.90% |
| NHS Nottingham and Nottinghamshire ICB – 52R | 456,941 | 186222 | 40.80% |
| NHS Lincolnshire Integrated Care Board | 365,852 | 149083 | 40.70% |
| NHS Lincolnshire ICB – 71E | 365,852 | 149083 | 40.70% |
| NHS West Yorkshire ICB – 03R | 186,432 | 75599 | 40.60% |
| NHS Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent ICB – 05D | 56,705 | 22955 | 40.50% |
| NHS Dorset Integrated Care Board | 357,725 | 144223 | 40.30% |
| NHS Dorset ICB – 11J | 357,725 | 144223 | 40.30% |
| NHS North East and North Cumbria ICB – 00L | 158,029 | 63601 | 40.20% |
| NHS Mid and South Essex Integrated Care Board | 465,024 | 186955 | 40.20% |
| NHS Humber and North Yorkshire ICB – 02Y | 125,126 | 50255 | 40.20% |
| NHS Humber and North Yorkshire ICB – 03K | 83,695 | 33549 | 40.10% |
| NHS Devon Integrated Care Board | 614,848 | 246121 | 40.00% |
| NHS Devon ICB – 15N | 614,848 | 246121 | 40.00% |
| NHS Norfolk and Waveney Integrated Care Board | 518,489 | 206351 | 39.80% |
| NHS Norfolk and Waveney ICB – 26A | 518,489 | 206351 | 39.80% |
| NHS Mid and South Essex ICB – 99E | 110,008 | 43722 | 39.70% |
| NHS Hertfordshire and West Essex ICB – 06K | 226,523 | 89595 | 39.60% |
| NHS Mid and South Essex ICB – 99G | 62,709 | 24745 | 39.50% |
| NHS Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire Integrated Care Board | 433,333 | 170324 | 39.30% |
| NHS Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire ICB – 92G | 433,333 | 170324 | 39.30% |
| NHS Gloucestershire Integrated Care Board | 316,896 | 124541 | 39.30% |
| NHS Gloucestershire ICB – 11M | 316,896 | 124541 | 39.30% |
| East of England | 2,821,831 | 1107546 | 39.20% |
| NHS Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Integrated Care Board | 428,802 | 167845 | 39.10% |
| NHS Cambridgeshire and Peterborough ICB – 06H | 428,802 | 167845 | 39.10% |
| NHS South Yorkshire ICB – 02P | 110,028 | 42864 | 39.00% |
| NHS South Yorkshire Integrated Care Board | 632,008 | 246064 | 38.90% |
| NHS Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes Integrated Care Board | 395,252 | 153552 | 38.80% |
| NHS Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes ICB – M1J4Y | 395,252 | 153552 | 38.80% |
| NHS North West London Integrated Care Board | 1,005,963 | 390233 | 38.80% |
| NHS North West London ICB – W2U3Z | 1,005,963 | 390233 | 38.80% |
| NHS Humber and North Yorkshire ICB – 03H | 95,995 | 37209 | 38.80% |
| NHS Suffolk and North East Essex ICB – 06T | 155,417 | 60006 | 38.60% |
| NHS Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland ICB – 03W | 162,967 | 62905 | 38.60% |
| NHS South Yorkshire ICB – 02X | 138,589 | 53379 | 38.50% |
| NHS North East and North Cumbria ICB – 01H | 160,902 | 61825 | 38.40% |
| NHS Mid and South Essex ICB – 07G | 72,669 | 27855 | 38.30% |
| NHS Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent ICB – 05Q | 83,973 | 32111 | 38.20% |
| NHS Hampshire and the Isle of Wight Integrated Care Board | 769,117 | 293765 | 38.20% |
| NHS Sussex ICB – 70F | 387,597 | 147969 | 38.20% |
| NHS South Yorkshire ICB – 03N | 255,900 | 97563 | 38.10% |
| NHS Birmingham and Solihull Integrated Care Board | 600,890 | 229048 | 38.10% |
| NHS Birmingham and Solihull ICB – 15E | 600,890 | 229048 | 38.10% |
| North East and Yorkshire | 3,964,480 | 1505565 | 38.00% |
| NHS Humber and North Yorkshire ICB – 03F | 110,919 | 42100 | 38.00% |
| NHS Northamptonshire Integrated Care Board | 332,066 | 125993 | 37.90% |
| NHS Northamptonshire ICB – 78H | 332,066 | 125993 | 37.90% |
| NHS Humber and North Yorkshire ICB – 42D | 212,912 | 80774 | 37.90% |
| NHS Humber and North Yorkshire Integrated Care Board | 768,296 | 290978 | 37.90% |
| NHS Hampshire and Isle Of Wight ICB – D9Y0V | 692,770 | 262086 | 37.80% |
| NHS West Yorkshire Integrated Care Board | 1,196,140 | 452294 | 37.80% |
| NHS North East and North Cumbria Integrated Care Board | 1,368,036 | 516229 | 37.70% |
| South West | 2,679,814 | 1010895 | 37.70% |
| NHS Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly Integrated Care Board | 300,082 | 113156 | 37.70% |
| NHS Cornwall and The Isles Of Scilly ICB – 11N | 300,082 | 113156 | 37.70% |
| NHS West Yorkshire ICB – X2C4Y | 201,330 | 75804 | 37.70% |
| Midlands | 4,764,031 | 1788156 | 37.50% |
| NHS Greater Manchester ICB – 00V | 60,252 | 22602 | 37.50% |
| NHS Sussex Integrated Care Board | 748,738 | 280455 | 37.50% |
| NHS West Yorkshire ICB – 15F | 372,939 | 139330 | 37.40% |
| NHS Derby and Derbyshire Integrated Care Board | 486,467 | 181362 | 37.30% |
| NHS Derby and Derbyshire ICB – 15M | 486,467 | 181362 | 37.30% |
| NHS Herefordshire and Worcestershire Integrated Care Board | 395,475 | 147245 | 37.20% |
| NHS Herefordshire and Worcestershire ICB – 18C | 395,475 | 147245 | 37.20% |
| NHS Sussex ICB – 97R | 245,411 | 90265 | 36.80% |
| NHS Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire West ICB – 10Q | 310,887 | 114191 | 36.70% |
| NHS Hertfordshire and West Essex Integrated Care Board | 574,860 | 211127 | 36.70% |
| NHS Coventry and Warwickshire Integrated Care Board | 403,378 | 147448 | 36.60% |
| NHS Coventry and Warwickshire ICB – B2M3M | 403,378 | 147448 | 36.60% |
| South East | 3,728,669 | 1362682 | 36.50% |
| NHS Sussex ICB – 09D | 115,730 | 42221 | 36.50% |
| NHS Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire West ICB – 15A | 216,464 | 78537 | 36.30% |
| England | 24,369,792 | 8832752 | 36.20% |
| NHS Hertfordshire and West Essex ICB – 07H | 119,557 | 43319 | 36.20% |
| NHS Kent and Medway Integrated Care Board | 754,089 | 271329 | 36.00% |
| NHS Kent and Medway ICB – 91Q | 754,089 | 271329 | 36.00% |
| NHS Greater Manchester ICB – 00T | 133,347 | 47689 | 35.80% |
| NHS Surrey Heartlands Integrated Care Board | 406,029 | 145174 | 35.80% |
| NHS Surrey Heartlands ICB – 92A | 406,029 | 145174 | 35.80% |
| NHS Lancashire and South Cumbria ICB – 01K | 145,253 | 51835 | 35.70% |
| NHS West Yorkshire ICB – 36J | 335,416 | 119404 | 35.60% |
| NHS Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire West Integrated Care Board | 729,828 | 258731 | 35.50% |
| NHS Frimley Integrated Care Board | 320,868 | 113228 | 35.30% |
| NHS Frimley ICB – D4U1Y | 320,868 | 113228 | 35.30% |
| NHS Cheshire and Merseyside ICB – 01V | 50,309 | 17648 | 35.10% |
| NHS Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent ICB – 04Y | 54,358 | 18766 | 34.50% |
| NHS Greater Manchester ICB – 01D | 80,834 | 27896 | 34.50% |
| NHS Hertfordshire and West Essex ICB – 06N | 228,780 | 78213 | 34.20% |
| NHS Somerset Integrated Care Board | 255,551 | 86812 | 34.00% |
| NHS Somerset ICB – 11X | 255,551 | 86812 | 34.00% |
| NHS North East and North Cumbria ICB – 00P | 107,996 | 36536 | 33.80% |
| NHS Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent Integrated Care Board | 430,079 | 145227 | 33.80% |
| NHS Humber and North Yorkshire ICB – 03Q | 139,649 | 47091 | 33.70% |
| NHS Lancashire and South Cumbria ICB – 02G | 44,634 | 15024 | 33.70% |
| NHS Greater Manchester ICB – 01G | 117,367 | 39373 | 33.50% |
| NHS Lancashire and South Cumbria ICB – 00X | 70,149 | 23477 | 33.50% |
| NHS Cheshire and Merseyside ICB – 27D | 308,328 | 102987 | 33.40% |
| NHS Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent ICB – 05V | 57,540 | 19174 | 33.30% |
| NHS Cheshire and Merseyside ICB – 01T | 46,850 | 15604 | 33.30% |
| NHS Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin Integrated Care Board | 211,689 | 70404 | 33.30% |
| NHS Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin ICB – M2L0M | 211,689 | 70404 | 33.30% |
| NHS South West London Integrated Care Board | 579,489 | 191356 | 33.00% |
| NHS South West London ICB – 36L | 579,489 | 191356 | 33.00% |
| NHS Black Country Integrated Care Board | 495,205 | 163382 | 33.00% |
| NHS Black Country ICB – D2P2L | 495,205 | 163382 | 33.00% |
| NHS Greater Manchester ICB – 14L | 232,953 | 76128 | 32.70% |
| NHS Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire West ICB – 14Y | 202,477 | 66003 | 32.60% |
| NHS Greater Manchester Integrated Care Board | 1,120,265 | 364760 | 32.60% |
| NHS Greater Manchester ICB – 01W | 133,944 | 43565 | 32.50% |
| London | 3,524,366 | 1145265 | 32.50% |
| NHS North East and North Cumbria ICB – 99C | 91,170 | 29106 | 31.90% |
| NHS Cheshire and Merseyside ICB – 12F | 165,957 | 52628 | 31.70% |
| North West | 2,886,601 | 912643 | 31.60% |
| NHS Lancashire and South Cumbria ICB – 00Q | 64,480 | 20328 | 31.50% |
| NHS Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire Integrated Care Board | 401,379 | 125718 | 31.30% |
| NHS Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire ICB – 15C | 401,379 | 125718 | 31.30% |
| NHS Cheshire and Merseyside Integrated Care Board | 1,057,395 | 328101 | 31.00% |
| NHS Lancashire and South Cumbria Integrated Care Board | 708,941 | 219782 | 31.00% |
| NHS Greater Manchester ICB – 00Y | 90,914 | 27930 | 30.70% |
| NHS North East and North Cumbria ICB – 13T | 206,686 | 63415 | 30.70% |
| NHS South East London Integrated Care Board | 625,549 | 191634 | 30.60% |
| NHS South East London ICB – 72Q | 625,549 | 191634 | 30.60% |
| NHS Cheshire and Merseyside ICB – 02E | 87,763 | 26881 | 30.60% |
| NHS Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent ICB – 05G | 81,750 | 24663 | 30.20% |
| NHS Lancashire and South Cumbria ICB – 01A | 140,323 | 42174 | 30.10% |
| NHS Cheshire and Merseyside ICB – 99A | 214,322 | 63864 | 29.80% |
| NHS North East London Integrated Care Board | 780,459 | 232392 | 29.80% |
| NHS North East London ICB – A3A8R | 780,459 | 232392 | 29.80% |
| NHS Greater Manchester ICB – 02H | 114,526 | 33846 | 29.60% |
| NHS Greater Manchester ICB – 01Y | 81,752 | 24077 | 29.50% |
| NHS Lancashire and South Cumbria ICB – 00R | 77,191 | 22492 | 29.10% |
| NHS Greater Manchester ICB – 02A | 74,376 | 21654 | 29.10% |
| NHS Lancashire and South Cumbria ICB – 01E | 82,713 | 23830 | 28.80% |
| NHS Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent ICB – 05W | 95,753 | 27558 | 28.80% |
| NHS Cheshire and Merseyside ICB – 01J | 63,261 | 17681 | 27.90% |
| NHS North Central London Integrated Care Board | 532,906 | 139650 | 26.20% |
| NHS North Central London ICB – 93C | 532,906 | 139650 | 26.20% |
| NHS Cheshire and Merseyside ICB – 01X | 70,254 | 18049 | 25.70% |
| NHS Cheshire and Merseyside ICB – 01F | 50,351 | 12759 | 25.30% |
| NHS North East and North Cumbria ICB – 00N | 57,154 | 14237 | 24.90% |
| NHS Lancashire and South Cumbria ICB – 02M | 84,198 | 20622 | 24.50% |