Waiting times to see your GP getting longer

Hundreds of people are waiting for more than a month before getting a face-to-face appointment with their GP, according to NHS data.

Figures for January this year show around 350 people a week faced this so-called ‘mega-wait’ - one in every 27 patients. Waiting times for NHS patients in Bath and North East Somerset (BANES) seem to be rising, as the percentage of people affected by this ‘mega-wait’ has increased from 2.3 per cent, to 3.7 per cent.

Doctors’ leaders said the data shows “clear evidence” GPS are under pressure as more people demand more appointments from fewer doctors.

The total number of GP appointments has risen by more than a quarter within one year. Almost 31,500 appointments were booked last January, while more than 39,000 were booked this January.

Of the appointments this January, 16,799 - or 42.9 per cent - were emergencies taking place the day they were booked. Some 3,096 were seen a day later. A further 7,273 waited between two and seven days; 5,248 between eight and 14 days; 3,321 between 15 and 21 days; and 1,947 between 22 to 28 days. The situation in BANES mirrors the situation across England as a whole. Nationally, almost 400,000 people waited more than 28 days for a face-to-face appointment with a GP. That represents 3.7 per cent of all patients who had a face-to-face GP appointment during the month - just like BANES.

Dr Richard Vautrey, GP committee chair at the British Medical Association, said: “This data, while only providing a limited snapshot of the total work that GPS do, provides clear evidence of the rising workload pressure practices are under. We’re providing a million more appointments each month, yet with hundreds fewer GPS.

“While we know many patients are frustrated at having to wait too long to be seen, this data shows the largest proportion of appointments continue to be made and attended the same day, while the majority are seen within a week of booking.

“And though these figures show some patients being seen more than 28 days after making their appointment, it is important to note that many of these will be appropriately booking ahead for return visits or regular check-ups. What these figures do not account for is the vast range of other activities GPS complete in their day-to-day work - including training, meetings and paperwork.”