According to a poll by Pulse magazine, almost a third of GPs had to suspend routine appointment bookings due to overwhelming demand in the past year. Receptionists also faced abuse from frustrated patients. Between June 2022 and June 2023, 30% of the 408 GPs surveyed had to stop taking bookings for routine appointments.
In May, new regulations were implemented that prohibited practices from asking patients to schedule their appointments for a later date. Patients must now be assessed or directed to appropriate services during their initial contact with the practice.
A GP from Wiltshire stated that her practice has been extremely busy and can only offer routine appointments two weeks in advance, similar to the workload during the winter season.
![Almost a third of GPs had to stop taking bookings for routine appointments in the past year because of overwhelming demand [File image]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2023/08/14/00/72581935-12403237-An_explosion_in_retirements_among_family_doctors_over_the_next_f-a-55_1691968751161.jpg)
Almost a third of GPs had to stop taking bookings for routine appointments in the past year because of overwhelming demand [File image]
According to NHS Digital, around 29.7 million appointments were recorded on GP practice systems in June. Of these, 46.8% were conducted by GPs and 20.7% by nurses. Only 69% of appointments were face-to-face.
In June, NHS England reported a record high of 7.6 million people on waiting lists. Dr. Zishan Syed criticized the government for prioritizing the reduction of secondary care waiting lists at the expense of overburdening GPs.
Professor Kamila Hawthorne, chairman of the Royal College of GPs, commented on the concerning findings of the Pulse survey. She emphasized the need for adequate resources and staff in general practice, highlighting the significant increase in workload compared to pre-pandemic levels. Professor Hawthorne urged the government to urgently invest in retaining GPs and reducing health service bureaucracy.
The Department of Health and Social Care dismissed the survey as “misleading,” stating that fewer than 2% of general practices reported stopping routine appointments in the past year. The department emphasized the increase in general practice doctors since June 2019, the achievement of their target for additional direct patient care staff, and the availability of more appointments.
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