The missing GPs

You shouldn’t be at all surprised if you can’t get an appointment with your GP (Mail). the Government spends £140 per head per year on all primary care services.

to put that in perspective, that is the same as two months’ Sky subscription or one large coffee a week. You get what you pay for.

there are three solicitors for each GP, so you can see where our national priorities lie.

Dr TIM HOWARD, Corfe Mullen, Dorset. I Have been a GP for 31 years. every year more paperwork gets given to us. Much of it is incredibly timeconsuming and results in clinical time with patients being lost to enforced box-ticking.

If it doesn’t make anyone better, why not scrap it? unfortunately there is no chance of that happening and I expect Matt Hancock will follow Jeremy Hunt in making life difficult for GPs and patients. Dr M. CARDWELL,

Ramsgate, Kent. MY GP practice is marvellous. they use a system called Doctorlink, which enables you to type in your symptoms. It will advise if you need an appointment and then you are able to book if necessary.

You may be offered a telephone consultation and a GP will call later in the day. If you do need to ring the surgery, you are no longer kept on hold for ages as the new system has cut the need for most calls.

the reception staff are always helpful and I can usually see a GP within a week. Maybe other practices could look into using this approach.

SUE DRYSDALE, London SE25.