Nearly half the public delayed or avoided seeking GP help last year
Nearly half (48%) of all UK adults avoided or delayed contacting their GP about a health concern last year, a new poll suggests, as the Government announced new plans for family doctors to guarantee same-day appointments for patients with urgent health needs.
People cited difficulties contacting their local practice, opting to wait for the problem to go away and not expecting to be offered a suitable appointment as some of the main reasons behind their decision.
Accessing a GP is the public’s main priority for the NHS, along with improved A&E waiting times, according to the survey conducted by the Health Foundation and Ipsos of 2,200 UK adults in December.
“Our findings signal that too often people are going without the care they need, which risks storing up health problems further down the line and placing more strain on an already stretched service,” said Tim Gardner, assistant director of policy at the Health Foundation.
It comes as the Government promised to boost access to family doctors in England through a new GP contract, backed by a £485 million investment.
The contract requires all patients with urgent needs to have access to a same-day GP appointment.
But medics raised concerns about the pledge.
Dr Katie Bramall, from the British Medical Association, said: “Hard-working family doctors will be deeply concerned about setting up even more unrealistic expectations of unlimited same-day urgent care provision alongside potential barriers being put in place around specialist referrals, all while trying to keep practices open and prevent even more surgery closures.”
A separate £300 million of existing money in the service will be ring-fenced to help recruit additional GPs or increase hours of current family doctors, the Department of Health and Social Care said.
Ministers have also made changes to a controversial recruitment scheme for GP practices to expand the number of medics who can be employed using the Additional Roles and Reimbursement Scheme.
Health Secretary Wes Streeting said the Government was “fixing the front door to the NHS”, adding: “We’re giving practices the flexibility to hire more GPs, and backing them with extra funding to do so.
“As a result, many more patients with urgent needs will be able to get an appointment the day they contact their practice.”
Chris McCann, acting chief executive at Healthwatch England, said: “People consistently tell us that GP services are becoming harder to use and that simply getting through the door for care can be a challenge.
“For example, we often hear from individuals who wait in long telephone queues for an appointment, only to be told that all slots have been taken for the day and that they must try again tomorrow.
“Plans to recruit more doctors should make it easier for patients to get appointments and ensure urgent cases are handled more quickly.”
Published: by Radio NewsHub