Face-to-face visits with GPS stay near lockdown levels
Fewer than two-thirds of GP appointments in Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire are being conducted face-to-face - close to the levels seen during lockdown, despite the ending of restrictions.
The latest figures from the NHS reveal that just 63 per cent of patients in the area were seen faceto-face by their GP in August, including home visits. That compared to 60 per cent in January, during the winter lockdown, and 85 per cent in February 2019, before the pandemic hit the UK.
Issues with accessing GPS have led to a knock-on effect on other services, with A&ES busier than ever during the summer, and deteriorating ambulance response times.
Analysis by the Royal College of Emergency Medicine (RCEM) showed a lack of access to GPS has been a key factor in this increased pressure - particularly with older people, those with disabilities and families on low incomes struggling with remote appointments.
Both the government and NHS England say more patients should have face-to-face consultations and that GPS are being given the money to provide them.
However, GPS have said rising demand and staff shortages mean they are struggling to see more people face-to-face.
GPS have seen their workloads increase due to the pandemic - for example, by the Covid vaccination programme, people needing support due to long waiting times for hospital treatment, and increased frailty in older people.
Speaking to the BBC, Royal College of GPS chair Professor Martin Marshall said: “The workforce is simply not big enough to manage.”
Separate figures from the NHS show that there are 450 full-time GPS in Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire, excluding locums and trainees. That’s up slightly from 446 in 2020, but down 7 per cent from 484 five years ago in 2016 - despite a government drive to increase GP numbers.
Prof Marshall said that GPS strive to deliver the same high-quality care whether a consultation is remote or in person.”
He added: “Ultimately we need more GPS and other members of the practice team to deliver the care our patients need.”
Across England, more than 80 per cent of patients were seen faceto-face either in the surgery or at home before the pandemic. During the first lockdown in spring 2020, that proportion fell below 50 per cent, and has hovered between 50 and 60 per cent all this year.
A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: “We’re hugely grateful to GP practices for their hard work and dedication to bringing appointment numbers back to pre-pandemic levels, with over 330 million delivered in the last year.
“We are investing £270 million to expand GP capacity, on top of providing £1.5 billion for general practice until 2023/24 to deliver worldclass care to patients.”