Hundreds of thousands of sick patients could not get through to their GP in last month, shocking figures reveal
More than a million sick patients – accounting for one in 20 who tried – were unable to contact their GP in the last month, research has revealed.
Startling figures have laid bare the difficulty in getting seen by a doctor, with millions being ‘forced to wait in pain’ for an appointment.
Analysis of the latest Office for National Statistics (ONS) data found that in just one month, 4.8 million people who tried to reach their GP could not make contact on the same day.
Of these, 2.2 million patients had to wait several days to make contact, while more than 1.1 million were completely unable to access their NHS GP in the month.
Even when people successfully secured an appointment less than half received a face-to-face visit, while more than 100,000 patients were told to manage their issue themselves, the data showed.
The Liberal Democrats, who carried out the analysis, said the figures illustrate the extent of the crisis in our NHS and called on the government to take urgent action to ensure patients can see their GP.
One in 20 people who tried to reach their GP last month were unable to do so, according to new figures (file image)
Even when people successfully secured an appointment less than half received a face-to-face visit, while more than 100,000 patients were told to manage their issue themselves (file image)
Jess Brown-Fuller, their spokeswoman for Hospitals and Primary Care, said: ‘The crisis in NHS primary care cannot be allowed to continue. Millions of people are being forced to wait in pain for weeks just to get a GP appointment.
‘The government must act urgently to ensure patients can see their GP when they need to.
‘The lack of GP appointments is leading to unnecessary hospital admissions, putting more strain on A&E and costing the NHS even more money.
‘Patients have been suffering through a health service crisis for far too long.’
A Department for Health and Social Care spokeswoman said: ‘GP services are buckling after years of neglect but through our Plan for Change we will fix the NHS’s front door and shift the focus of healthcare from hospital to community.
‘We are hiring an extra 1,000 GPs, and have proposed the biggest boost to GP funding in years – an extra £889 million – and bringing back the family doctor so patients most in need see the same doctor at every appointment.’
