Thousands left waiting to see GP

More than 15,000 patients in the Canterbury area have been left waiting at least three weeks to see a GP, new figures reveal.

Doctors say it is important to treat patients early to “avoid conditions getting worse”.

But NHS Digital data shows that 15,580 people in the Canter- bury and Coastal Clinical Commissioning Group area had to wait at least 21 days to see a doctor after booking an appointment in October.

That is 12% of all patients. Of them, 8,400 waited more than a month.

Waiting times were worse than in November 2017 - the earliest period for which data is available - when 9% of patients waited for at least three weeks.

The Patients Association says the impact of the waits “should not be underestimated”.

Rachel Power, the charity’s chief executive, said: “It can be incredibly stressful to face a long wait before getting to see a doctor, quite apart from prolonging the length of time someone has to live with the medical issue that is troubling them. All of this is a symptom of an NHS running at boiling point all year round.”

Two in five patients in Canterbury and Coastal CCG were able to see a GP the same day the appointment was made. Experts say the figures include patients who need regular appointments and are likely to be booking ahead.

A Department of Health and Social Care spokesman said: “GPS are working hard to provide high-quality care to their patients, with over a million appointments booked every weekday in October and 40% of patients being seen on the same day.

“We are also rolling out extended access hours across the country to ensure that patients can find appointments in the evenings and at weekends, making it easier for people to see a doctor, nurse or other health professional at a time convenient to them.”