The number of patients waiting three weeks or more for a GP rises to 3 million as patient satisfaction reaches an all-time LOW level
More than 3 million patients have to wait at least three weeks to see their GP, shock data shows.
NHS statistics show that there were 13.5 million appointments in England last month.
But almost a month earlier, 3.2 million were booked – or one in five.
It marks a rise of almost 400,000 appointments in the space of a month, illustrating the terrible crisis that has seen dissatisfied patients leave NHS practices and instead go private or visit flooded emergency departments.
Separate data from the Office for National Statistics also shows that GP satisfaction in England fell to the lowest level on record last year.
Campaigners have long warned about the delays, which are being fueled by a shortage of GPs, putting patients at risk of serious illness being diagnosed late or missed altogether.
Figures released today by NHS England show that almost half occurred on the same day (44.6 per cent), a slight increase on the previous month.
Nearly a third (30.7 percent) had to wait longer than a week.
The data for England also showed that two-thirds (65.4 percent) of GP consultations took place face-to-face.
GPs, who earn an average six-figure salary, have reported having to cram in up to 90 appointments a day, in a situation similar to that of an assembly line.
The BMA recommends that GPs should make no more than 25 appointments per day to ensure safe care.
The latest NHS statistics show that there were just under 27,500 fully qualified GPs working across England in December.
This is just under 2,000 fewer than the number recorded in the same month in 2016.
This is despite the fact that the population has grown by approximately 2 million over the same period.
Many GPs retire in their 50s, move abroad or go private due to rising demand, NHS paperwork and aggressive media attention.
This has led to an appointment crisis in GP practices, with patients forced to endure the 8am battle. Others are forced to complete an online e-consult to reach their practice.
GPs also say they are overwhelmed by the pressure of a rising and aging population and a lack of government funding.
Ministers have also quietly rejected a pledge to hire a further 6,000 GPs, which was a key part of Boris Johnson’s election-winning manifesto.