Tories: 50m new GP appointments
Hancock vows to cut doctor waiting times
THE Tories will today pledge to create an extra 50million GP surgery appointments a year.
They want to end the crisis that leaves some patients waiting weeks to see a doctor.
In a major election pledge, Matt Hancock will announce £ 2.5billion funding to hire thousands of GPs, nurses and other staff.
In an interview with the Daily Mail, the Health Secretary acknowledged rising public concern about the issue – and said he had sometimes struggled to get an appointment himself in the past.
He said the new money would help increase by 15 per cent the number of GP surgery appointments available each year – which currently stands at 307 million.
‘I know what it feels like when you need to see a GP and it’s hard to get an appointment and I want to fix that,’ he said. ‘I want to see more GP appointments and also make sure that access is fair across the country.
‘At the moment access is easier in some areas than others. There is a particular problem in rural areas and we are focusing on that – and that means getting GPs into the right places and making sure we are making the best use of technology.’
Mr Hancock also accused homeopaths peddling antivaccine messages to parents of ‘putting lives at risk’ by raising the chances of children catching measles if they are not given the MMR jab.
And he pledged to fund compensation for victims of the contaminated blood scandal if an inquiry recommended it. The boost to GP appointments comes amid growing concern among the public about waiting times. A survey in the summer found the average wait for routine appointments had risen to 15 days – the first time it had gone beyond two weeks. The planned increase will be phased in over four years and accompanied by a recruitment drive. Mr Hancock said it would require an extra 6,000 GPs and 6,000 nurses, physiotherapists and pharmacists.
Critics are likely to question if the new investment will be enough. A report by three leading think tanks this year warned that the NHS was already on course to be 7,000 GPs short within five years.
But Mr Hancock insisted it could make a big difference. He is enthusiastic about innovations such as phone and Skype consultations with GPs where appropriate. Digital booking will be rolled out across the UK and patients will be offered the option of online consultations.
But Mr Hancock added: ‘If someone wants to see a GP face to face, I want them to be able to.’ He also declined to set a target for waiting times, saying it depended on the circumstances.
Mr Hancock said: ‘ People should be able to see their GP on the day if they need to.’
Around half of all appointments in GP surgeries are with GPs. The remainder are with other clinicians, such as nurses and physiotherapists. Some campaigners have called for patients to be fined for missed appointments But Mr Hancock indicated that he was reluctant to go down that route.