Delays County is rated worst for GP appointment waits

ALMOST 100,000 residents in Gloucestershire had to wait over eight days for a GP appointment in February, the latest figures reveal.

This number is up nine per cent from the previous month, when 93,440 waited for eight days or more to see their GP.

Gloucestershire was the worst-performing authority in England in February, according to the figures, with nearly a third of patients waiting at least eight days to see their doctor. And 17 per cent had to wait more than 15 days.

New analysis of the latest NHS figures from England showed that nearly one in three of Gloucestershire’s residents waited over eight days in February before being able to see their family doctor. Of these, 17 per cent (54,525) had to wait over 15 days and 10,598 a month or more for a GP appointment.

The five areas with the highest proportion of people waiting eight days or more were Gloucestershire (31.5 per cent), Dorset (31.2 per cent), Sheffield (31.1 per cent), East Riding of Yorkshire (31 per cent) and Stafford (30.8 per cent).

Meanwhile the number of same-day appointments in February fell by nearly 6,000 compared to January.

Fewer than one in two (41 per cent) people were able to see their GP on the same day in February, down from 43 per cent the previous month, the figures – compiled by the Liberal Democrats – showed. A spokesperson for NHS Gloucestershire Clinical Commissioning Group said GP practice teams in Gloucestershire were doing a fantastic job in challenging circumstances.

They said: “While we recognise that some patients are waiting longer than we would all like to access an appointment, it’s important to highlight that patient satisfaction rates are higher than the national average.

“We continue to work closely with member GP practices to support recruitment and build on the innovations they have led in new ways of working, including recruiting a range of healthcare professionals to work alongside practice teams.

“Demand for GP surgery services continues to be extremely high, with practices seeing a significant increase in contacts. In February 2022, 26 per cent of patients waited over eight days for a GP appointment and 31.53 per cent of patients waited over eight days for an appointment with other healthcare practitioners.

“Some of these waits may have been clinically appropriate, depending on the appointment. Face to face (in person) consultations with clinicians in the practice team are available to those who need them. They currently account for 69 per cent of appointments in Gloucestershire, which is better than the national average of 61 per cent.

“Surgeries have adapted the way consultations can be offered to keep patients safe and make sure those with the greatest need are seen first. All patients who contact their surgery, either online or by phone, are assessed to decide whether they need to be seen in person, via a phone or video consultation or if they would benefit from a visit to a community pharmacy.

“Those patients with urgent clinical needs are seen on the same day or the next day. In the 2021 national patient survey, 86 per cent of patients in Gloucestershire were satisfied with the primary care appointment offered compared to 82 per cent nationally.

“Alongside provision of day-to-day medical care, GP surgery teams in Gloucestershire have been delivering the county’s Covid vaccination programme and are leading the way in the South West, with 52 per cent of those eligible for a spring booster having been vaccinated.”

While we recognise that some patients are waiting longer than we would all like to access an appointment, it’s important to highlight that patient satisfaction rates are higher than the national average

NHS Gloucestershire CCG spokesperson