Research shows that one in 20 patients in the UK are forced to wait at least four weeks for an appointment with a GP.
The number of patients waiting soared 38% last year, from 12.8 million to 17.6 million. According to analysis of National Health Service (NHS) data, in areas such as the Vale of York, the number of people waiting four weeks increased by 80% compared to the same period in 2022. Patient representative associations said the situation This situation is evidence of the shortage of general practitioners in the UK, and also warns of similar risks in the dental industry.
The NHS analysis looked at the time it took patients to make an appointment to the day they actually saw a GP by locality in England. The results showed that the number of cases having to wait a month increased nationwide. One in every 20 appointments (5.1%) had to wait 4 weeks or more.
In some areas such as Gloucestershire, Derbyshire and Sheffield, South Yorkshire, one in 10 people had to wait. Two-week waits increased 40%, from 263,000 to 369,000. The town of Bury in Greater Manchester had the highest increase, with 74% of patients calling the hotline having to wait four weeks.
According to Dennis Reed, director of the campaign group Silver Voices for people over 60, this is a “difficult to accept” situation. Patients with more severe symptoms than normal sometimes cannot last a month. Many people skip the doctor’s exam and go straight to the emergency room, pay more for a private exam, or try to treat themselves using the internet.
Patient in the emergency department at a hospital in England. Image: Jeff Moore
Last week’s King’s Fund survey found just a third of patients were satisfied with GP services, the lowest level in four decades, down 34 percentage points since 2019. Waiting times are too high Long time is one of the reasons leading to this attitude.
The NHS says it is scheduling more appointments than ever before. Some non-emergency cases such as vaccinations will be postponed.
Dr Victoria Tzortziou-Brown, Vice President of the Royal College of General Practitioners, said for routine or follow-up appointments, patients should book several weeks in advance.
“The bottom line is we don’t have enough GPs to meet the growing demand for care, patients are the ones most affected,” she said.
A spokesperson for the Department of Health and Social Care is committed to improving access to GPs, moving towards a faster, simpler and fairer health system.