Less than half of patients can see their GP in person – and a fifth can’t even reach them, new data shows
New data shows that fewer than half of patients receive face-to-face GP appointments.
Of those who do manage to get an in-person appointment, a fifth wait longer than two weeks.
In addition, around 2,000 people were unable to reach their GP practice when seeking medical help.Signs of potentially life-threatening conditions may have gone unchecked.
The data, collected by The Office for National Statistics (ONS), is based on the recent healthcare experiences of more than 95,000 people in England.
The findings paint a bleaker picture than recently published figures collected by GP practices.
According to this monthly data – released in September and based on field reports on their performance – 65.5 percent of all appointments in September were conducted face-to-face.
And while the new data shows that only 33.3 percent of patients can see a doctor on the same day they call, GP practices report that figure is almost half.
The survey of more than 100,000 people found that of the 95,468 who tried to contact their GP practice, a fifth were unable to contact their GP that day
Two in five (39.9 percent) said they did nothing about their condition and 32.2 percent said they did ‘something else’
Of patients surveyed last month about their experiences with GP practices, a fifth said they got what they needed online or through a telephone appointment.
The data, which is collected monthly using an online form, surveyed a representative sample of people aged over 16 in England.
Patients have long expressed frustration with access to timely GP appointments, especially when it comes to in-person appointments.
Campaign group Silver Voices has previously argued that older people who feel uncomfortable disclosing personal medical problems over the internet risk important warning signs being missed.
But GPs say they are overwhelmed by the pressures of a rising and aging population, a lack of government funding and a shortage of doctors.
It comes after more than 98 percent of GPs in England backed the British Medical Association’s (BMA) proposed industrial action to impose a limit of 25 appointments per day per GP.
Helen Morgan MP and Liberal Democrat health and social care spokesperson argued that the country’s primary care services are ‘at breaking point’.
“Patients are left completely without options, but allow their problems to worsen when they cannot get the care they need,” she said.
She added: ‘The blame for this shocking state of affairs lies squarely with the Conservative Party, whose years of shameful neglect have destroyed our NHS.
‘It is now up to the new government to take up this challenge and save our healthcare system.
‘That is why it is so disappointing to see that, instead of supporting our GPs, they are putting more pressure on them with the increase in national insurance.’
‘The new government must urgently reconsider these proposals, abolish GP penalties and give patients the care they deserve.’
The increase in national insurance is expected to cost practices around £40,000 and could put pressure on operations.
Doctors say they will be forced to cut back on staff if they are not exempt from the tax increase.
Commenting on the ONS research, Ruth Rankine, director of primary care at the NHS Confederation, said: ‘Improvements can be made to tackle the significant proportion of patients who are unhappy and find it difficult to get through to their practice.
‘These results show that, despite ongoing financial pressure and staffing crisis, GPs and their teams are still managing to keep the majority of their patients satisfied.
‘Primary care is facing record demand, with millions more appointments than before the pandemic.
‘But with the sector facing more potentially unfunded cost pressures and fears that the increase in employer contributions could have a huge impact on operations, it is still vital that primary care receives the right support needed to keeping patients safe and happy.”
