Rise in GP appointments predicted after people avoid trip to practices

Huge drop recorded during virus outbreak

Tens of thousands fewer than expected GP appointments were recorded in North Yorkshire in April, in a sign Covid-19 is putting people off trips to the doctor. TheRoyalCollegeofGPs(RCGP) has urged patients to seek help if they need it, and said surgeries must have adequate resources to cope with a predicted increase in demand as the lockdown eases.

But the NHS says changes in how practices operate during the pandemic may have affected the figures, with remote sessions underreported.

NHS Digital data shows that patients booked in to see their doctor on 150,480 occasions in the NHS North Yorkshire CCG area in April. This was down from 198,818 for the same month a year before – a 24% drop.

Professor Martin Marshall, chairmanoftheRCGP,saidpeople may be worried about overburdeningNHSservicesduring the coronavirus crisis, or contracting the virus themselves.

“However, if anyone is seriously ill or concerned about their health, we’d strongly urge them to contact their GP practice or 111 – and in an emergency situation, call 999,” he added.

In this area, 32% of sessions were logged as having been completed over the phone in April, up from just 12% a year previously. The RCGP’s own research showed more than two-thirds of consultations are being carried out remotely, either by phone or video.

Prof Marshall added: “As we move into the next steps of the pandemic it’s imperative that the NHS is given the attention and resources it has been at the height of Covid-19.”

The NHS said the drop-off inrecordedappointmentsdoes not necessarily mean GPs are seeing fewer patients.

It said practices are likely to be operating differently in response to the pandemic, including the use of more list appointments, in which contact with several patients is only counted once.

Raj Patel, deputy medical director of primary care at NHS England, said: “Our GPs are quickly adapting to new technology – including phone and video consultations – to continue providing care in a different way.”

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