Patients are struggling to see a GP as one in four can’t even get an appointment, new data shows
- Delays leaving people in pain, unable to work and with destroyed relationships
- Britons say they have difficulty contacting their GP and cannot be seen in person
A damning official report today lays bare the difficulties patients face accessing the NHS – with one in four unable to see a GP and one in five awaiting treatment.
The delays leave many people in crippling pain, destroying relationships and forcing some out of work, the Office for National Statistics warns.
Britons also say they have difficulty contacting their doctor’s surgery or are only offered a telephone consultation when they want to be seen in person.
Those who get a referral for tests or treatment can then wait more than a year to get the diagnosis or relief they need, the figures show. Most get worse while waiting.
The delays leave many people in crippling pain, destroying relationships and forcing some out of work, the Office for National Statistics warns. Britons also say they have difficulty contacting their doctor’s surgery or are only offered a telephone consultation when they want to be seen in person.
Last night patient groups called the results ‘worrying’ and revealed they were imploring ministers to make urgent improvements.
The survey reveals that 23% of adults who needed to see a GP last month were unable to get an appointment.
Some 30% had difficulty reaching their office, while 39% only obtained a telephone consultation.
Only one in three respondents who made an appointment found it ‘easy’ or ‘very easy’, while more than half (52%) found it ‘difficult’ or ‘very difficult’.
Others were unable to see their preferred GP, were offered inconvenient hours or were told to seek treatment elsewhere.
The findings come amid a winter health crisis with 7.2 million people on waiting lists, plus ambulances and targets missing for A&E.
The strikes have also led to the postponement of 88,000 NHS appointments.
In the ONS survey, one in five said they were waiting for a hospital appointment, a test or to start receiving NHS treatment.
It had a “negative impact” on their lives, 72% said, and 56% said their condition was getting worse.
Of working adults awaiting treatment, 39% said their work was affected, with reduced hours or sick leave.
Louise Ansari, from Healthwatch England, said: “These results are concerning and reflect what people are telling us.
“GP services are often the first port of call, so the lack of easy access puts people’s health and well-being at risk.”
Rachel Power, from the Patients’ Association, said she had suggested ‘practical solutions’ to ministers, such as emergency funding for GP surgeries to install more phone lines and pay staff to answer calls.
Professor Kamila Hawthorne, president of the Royal College of GPs, said cutting red tape would give family doctors more time to see their patients.
A Department of Health spokesman said there were nearly 90,000 more GP appointments every working day in 2022 compared to 2021.
He added that the number of general practitioners had increased by almost 500 in 2022 compared to 2021.
