Seeing GP ‘too difficult’ for millions

MILLIONS of people could be avoiding seeing GPS because it is

“too difficult” to get an appointment.

Ipsos found just under half of people polled (45 per cent) have avoided seeing a GP in the past 12 months.

Nearly one in four (23 per cent) said this was because it is too hard to get an appointment.

Thirteen per cent avoided seeing a doctor because they were worried about being a burden on the NHS.

Nine per cent were worried about catching Covid.

Younger people and those from an ethnic minority background are most likely to have avoided seeing a GP in the past year.this was the case for six out of 10 people aged 18-34 and 67 per cent of those from an ethnic minority.

Chris Snowdon, of the Institute of Economic Affairs, warned: “The failure of general practice has exacerbated the problems in A&E.

“There needs to be financial incentives on both sides. People should pay a fee of around £20 to see a GP and this should be non-refundable.

“Secondly, GPS should be paid on the basis of how many patients they see, not on how many they have on the books.”

Ipsos uncovered strong opposition to charging to see a GP.

When asked if it should cost £10 to have an appointment, 71 per cent were opposed. Just 15 per cent supported the idea.

However, there was significant support for charging people £10 for missed appointments. This was backed by 51 per cent and opposed by just 34 per cent.

Professor Kamila Hawthorne, who chairs the Royal College of General Practitioners, said: “When people have difficulty accessing our care and services it is as frustrating for GPS and our teams as it is for our patients.”

A Department of Health spokeswoman said: “There are

90,000 more appointments every working day compared to 2021 and more than 2,000 additional doctors in general practice compared to December 2019.”