Coventry Telegraph

‘We need to do more’ health minister on GPS

- By CLAIRE HARRISON

HEALTH minister Sajid Javid says ‘we need to do more’ as the struggle to access GP appointmen­ts in Nuneaton and Bedworth grows.

There have been repeated complaints that people across the borough call their GP surgeries dozens and dozens of times either not getting through, or getting through and not being offered an appointmen­t for weeks.

Such is the severity of the situation that one resident suggested people have a ‘better chance of winning the lottery than getting to see your GP.’

This is having an impact on the ‘Eliot’s A&E because, in frustratio­n and desperatio­n to see a medic, people are turning up at their doors of the hospital department.

This is putting increased demand on the staff in A&E and has a knockon effect across the hospital as a whole. The Coventry Telegraph put this scenario of what is happening locally to the health secretary, and asked what he can do to put pressure on Coventry and Warwickshi­re CCG, which is in charge of GP services, to improve the service.

He said: “It is important to recognise that there is a challenge and then work up why it has happened and what we can do about it.

“It has happened because so many people stayed away from the NHS and their GPS because of the pandemic.

“Now they are coming forward in record numbers and because of that record demand, not all GPS are being able to see everyone as they wish and as quickly as they wish, I recognise that. I also recognise that GPS are working incredibly hard to see as many people as they can. But, we do need to do more.

“We have put over half a billion pounds of extra funding in to primary care over the pandemic and also we are recruiting at a record rate, but I think we do need to do more. We need to have a plan to increase access and capacity in Nuneaton and across the country

“I said just that a couple of days ago at a NHS conference and I will be coming with such a plan, we are working with the NHS right now, on top what we have done, what more we can do.”

 ?? ?? Health minister Sajid Javid visits George Eliot Hospital
Health minister Sajid Javid visits George Eliot Hospital

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