Million patients wait four weeks to see a doctor

ONE in 10 patients waits at least three weeks to see their doctor, figures show.

Data showed that in October, 2.8million people had to wait more than 21 days from first calling to see their GP. This included 1.4 million people who only saw a GP four weeks after calling.

Every day, a million people see a doctor in England. Figures also showed that one in 20 patients did not turn up after making an appointment – a trend that has worsened over the past year.

Overall, 10.3 per cent of patients in England faced a wait of three weeks to see their GP in October – a decline since last November, when the figure was 9.4 per cent.

Doctors said the figures included patients who needed regular appointments so were likely to book them well in advance. Four in 10 patients achieved a same-day appointment, while two thirds were seen within a week.

Rachel Power, head of the Patients Association, a charity dedicated to supporting the rights and interests of patients and their families, said: “These figures are concerning and confirm more patients face longer waits for an appointment. The impact should not be underestimated: it can be incredibly stressful to face a long wait.”

Prof Helen Stokes-lampard, chairman of the Royal College of GPS, said: “Despite the best efforts of GPS and our teams, patients are waiting too long to secure an appointment. We know this is frustrating and it’s frustrating for GPS and our teams too.”

Dr Richard Vautrey, BMA GP committee chairman, said the figures were clear evidence of the “huge amount” of work being done by GPS.

Figures suggest Mondays are busiest for appointments. They also exposed the slow rise of attempts to use video calls and the internet to provide access to patients around the clock. Matt Hancock, the Health Secretary, has been urging the NHS to do more to introduce such methods, saying every patient should be offered online consultations.