10 million people give up on getting a GP appointment creating “ticking time bomb” for NHS
Around 10 million people gave up on getting a GP appointment in the past month despite needing one, analysis of official figures has revealed. The Liberal Democrats have criticised the government over its failure to recruit more GPs and warned that people struggling to get appointments was creating a “ticking time bomb” for the NHS. The ONS survey found that one in five adults reported needing to contact their GP practice in the past month but decided not to, equivalent to 9.94 million people. Of these, 56% (5.6 million) blamed long waiting times for an appointment, 26% (2.6 million) said they were unable to contact their GP practice at the times required and 23% (2.3 million) said they didn’t think they’d be able to get an appointment at a suitable time. Almost six in ten of those who decided not to contact their GP chose to manage their condition themselves. 22% (2.2 million) sought advice on the internet, 13% (1.3 million) asked friends or family for advice, and 5% (500,000) resorted to private medical treatment. Those living in the most deprived areas in England (30%) and women (23%) were significantly more likely to report that they needed to contact their GP practice in the past month but decided not to. The Liberal Democrats said it was deeply worrying that millions of patients are giving up on seeing their GP because of long waits for appointments and difficulties getting through. The party’s Health Spokesperson Daisy Cooper said this could mean missed diagnoses and people waiting in pain and missing out on the care they need. The Liberal Democrats are calling on the government to recruit more GPs and give patients a legal right to see a GP within a week, or 24 hours if it is urgent. The ONS survey also found stark examples of the impact on people who are struggling to get a GP appointment. One 31-year-old woman said: “Because of delays with GP and Hospital I am still suffering with my illness and have got into trouble with my employer because of my sickness record. I have had to resort to borrowing money to pay for private consultation to see if I can resolve the pain I am in…” Another woman, aged 39, said: “I've tried to make an appointment for my son's pre-school injections but I've been unable to contact the GP surgery as the phone lines are too busy and the online system is always temporarily unavailable when I try to access [it]”. Liberal Democrat Health Spokesperson Daisy Cooper MP said: “It is deeply worrying that millions of people are trying and failing to see their GP because it’s just so difficult to get an appointment. “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. “Despite GPs seeing thousands of patients every day, we are hearing devastating stories of people waiting in pain for months or shelling out their hard-earned cash to go private. “These damning figures must act as a wake-up call for the government. It’s time for ministers to finally recruit the extra GPs we were promised, and give patients a guaranteed GP appointment within a week when they need one, or 24 hours in an emergency.” ENDS Notes to Editor: ONS survey can be found here. Figures are based on responses from 4,494 individuals living in Great Britain surveyed between 15 to 26 February 2023 https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/wellbeing/articles/theimpactofwinterpressuresondifferentpopulationgroupsingreatbritain/15to26february2023 Data tables can be found here including associated weighted counts: https://www.ons.gov.uk/file?uri=/peoplepopulationandcommunity/wellbeing/datasets/theimpactofwinterpressuresondifferentpopulationgroupsingreatbritaingpaccess/15to26february2023/theimpactofwinterpressuresgpaccess30032023.xlsx Key stats
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