Communities across the country are seeing ever falling numbers of GPs treating ever growing numbers of patients, in a stark postcode lottery. It is creating a perfect storm that means for many people, it feels almost impossible to see your GP when you need to.
Some areas in England now have almost 3,000 registered patients for every fully qualified GP, new analysis by the Liberal Democrats has revealed.
Across the country, the number of registered patients at GP practices has increased by 7 per cent to 62 million since 2016, an increase of over 4 million. Meanwhile the number of fully qualified GPs has fallen by 7 per cent to 27,375 over the same period, a fall of 1,946. It means that across England there are now 2,273 patients per fully qualified GP, up from 1,981 in 2016.
This ever-worsening GP shortage is having a terrible human cost, as people face delayed or missed diagnoses and A&Es fill up with desperate patients looking for treatment.
Blackburn with Darwen now has 2,915 registered patients per fully qualified GP, more than anywhere else in the country and up 25% since 2016. This is followed by Portsmouth (2,821), Hull (2,805) and Oldham (2,805).
Even the constituencies of Health Ministers have seen sharp rises. In the Health Secretary Steve Barclay’s own backyard of Peterborough and Cambridgeshire, there are 2,336 registered patients per qualified GP, up 20% compared to six years ago. Meanwhile, in Health Minister Maria Caulfield’s Lewes seat, the number of registered patients per GP shot up by 21% to 2,404 compared to six years ago.
People are fed up with this Conservative government failing to deliver on the basics as local health services are driven into the ground.
The Liberal Democrats are calling for 8,000 new GPs to be recruited to enable all patients to be given a legal right to see a GP within seven days, or within 24 hours if in urgent need. This would be achieved by recruiting an extra 8,000 GPs, through increasing training places, fixing NHS pension rules and launching a campaign to encourage retired doctors to return to practice.
Back the campaign: https://change.libdems.org.uk/gps
This could lead to countless missed or delayed diagnoses as people go without the care they need, creating a ticking time bomb for our NHS.
The NHS is collapsing in front of our eyes whilst the Prime Minister and Health Secretary are nowhere to be seen.
Far too many people are struggling to get a GP appointment when they need one, leaving them waiting anxiously for the care they deserve.