60% of patients without 7-day GP

MORE than half of patients still cannot see a GP on any day of the week despite a push for longer surgery opening hours.

Only 40 per cent can make an appointment at any time between 8am to 8pm, Monday to Sunday – most of whom have to go to a different surgery and see an unfamiliar doctor rather than their own GP.

The Government promised in 2014 that every patient would have access to appointments seven days a week by 2020.

Four years on, however, only 39.7 per cent have what is termed ‘full access’ to extended-hours appointments. This means they can book a consultation between 8am and 8pm, Monday to Sunday at a nearby surgery – not necessarily their own.

Another 50.8 per cent have ‘partial access’ to an appointment at least one evening a week or at a weekend. But 9.5 per cent cannot see a doctor in the evenings or weekends, the BBC figures show.

GP leaders said surgeries were too short staffed – and suggested patients didn’t want evening and weekend appointments. Dr Krishna Kasaraneni, of the British Medical Association, said: ‘The majority of patients have access to GP services out of normal working hours.’

The Department of Health said it wanted all patients to have access to GPs at evenings and weekends.’