' GP crisis with 4 week waits for GP appointment rise to 1.3 million & a Medway GP retirement timebomb' - say Lib Dems

There were 1.3 million waits of four weeks or more for a GP appointment in May, new analysis commissioned by the Liberal Democrats has revealed, up from 912,000 in the same month last year.

The House of Commons Library research is based on NHS data showing the length of time between when a GP appointment was booked and when it took place. It reveals the areas with the highest proportion of four week waits for a GP appointment, with predominantly rural counties such as Gloucestershire and Dorset among the worst hit.

Almost one in twenty (4.8%) GP appointments in May 2023 involved waits of at least four weeks, up from 3.3% in the same month last year. Every area in the country except one has seen the proportion of four-week waits go up compared to last year.

Medway Liberal Democrats are calling for a legal right for patients to see a GP within a week, or within 24 hours if in urgent need. This would be achieved through increasing training places for GPs, introducing reforms to retain experienced doctors and staff, and launching a recruitment drive to encourage those who’ve left the NHS to return. This would be achieved by increasing the number of GPs by 8,000. Lib Dem Leader Ed Davey calls for official review into access to GPs in rural areas led by Care Quality Commission.

Liberal Democrat Leader Ed Davey said: “Far too many people are struggling to get a GP appointment when they need one, leaving them worried or waiting in pain for the treatment they need. The Conservatives have let down communities across the country by failing to recruit the extra GPs they promised. Rural areas are being particularly impacted by long GP waiting times hurting families and piling pressure on other NHS services.

The government needs to launch an urgent review into the lack of access to GPs in rural communities and act to end yet another example of health inequality. Ministers should also back Liberal Democrat proposals to give everyone the legal right to an appointment within a week, or within 24 hours if in urgent need.”

Combined with our analysis last month when we highlighted the ‘GP “retirement time bomb” in Kent and Medway that revealed with 29% of GPs were nearing retirement age, and 208 are over 60 years old.

Nationally, NHS figures shows that almost 8,000 fully qualified GPs are over 55, making up 22% of the total. Of these, 3,700 (10%) were aged 60 or more while 1,470 (4%) were aged over 65. It comes as previous polling has found that almost half (47%) of GPs said they intend to retire at or before 60. The Conservatives have failed to recruit the extra GPs that were promised in their 2019 manifesto. Instead, the number of fully qualified and full-time GPs has fallen by 2,165 since September 2015.

John Castle, Medway Liberal Democrat Spokesperson for said: “Kent and Medway is facing a GP retirement time bomb that would make it even harder to get an appointment when you need one. The Government has neglected our local health services and broken their promise to recruit more GPs. Their inaction has left far too many people in our community struggling to see their GP and get the care they need.

The Liberal Democrats have set out a clear plan to ensure everyone can see their doctor within a week, or 24 hours if in urgent need. There is no time to waste in finally recruiting the extra GPs this government promised before this crisis gets even worse."

ENDS

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