Four-week waits for GP appointments in the county up by 62 per cent

Liberal Democrats say they examined NHS data measuring the time between when a GP appointment was booked and when it took place, broken down by local NHS areas across England.

Every single local area in the country saw a rise in four-week GP waits in 2023 compared to the previous year – with Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin seeing the eighth largest rise in four-week waits the country, out of the 112 NHS trusts.

In 2022 there were 79,437 patients who waited four weeks for an appointment, with than number rising to 128,596 in 2023.

North Shropshire MP Helen Morgan has claimed that the Government has ‘failed to get a grip on the GP crisis’ and is leaving patients in limbo.

Liberal Democrat MPs are calling for patients to be given a legal right to see their GP within seven days – or 24-hours if in urgent need.

This comes as a survey by the King’s Fund found only a third of people are satisfied with GP services, the lowest since records began in 1983. Since 2019, satisfaction with GP services has fallen by 34 per cent.

Mrs Morgan said: "The Government has failed to get a grip on the GP crisis and patients across Shropshire are waiting far too long for appointments as a result.

"It should not be too much to ask to be able to see a GP when you need to and that’s why I want to see the law changed to give patients more rights.

"Patients now face a postcode lottery when it comes to appointments, with hugely different results even between nearby villages. It is no wonder we have such problems with ambulance waits and full A&Es at Shrewsbury and Telford when the basics of care are so sorely lacking.

"We need an urgent package of support for local services, and legal rights for patients to get an appointment within seven days or 24-hours if in urgent need.”

Nicola Williams, associate director of primary care at NHS Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin, said the figures are "not what we wish to see" but added that there had been a rise in the number of appointments how offered.

She added that a local improvement plan is in place in recognition of the increase in waiting times.

She said: "General Practice (GP) access remains a top priority, both locally and nationally, and we continue to work hard towards our improvement targets for the county.

"The latest data does represent an increase in waiting times for GP appointments, however a local system improvement plan is in place. This is working towards enhancing appointment capacity, building confidence in the new ways of accessing primary care services, and ensuring people are seen by the right healthcare professional at the right time. This includes an enhanced offer available at community pharmacies, access to extended healthcare teams within General Practice, and the roll out of the NHS App.

"The figures published are not what we wish to see, however it is important to note that they do not consider the increase of appointments now offered by General Practice, the types of appointments booked, or the patients’ clinical need. This can include the patient’s own preference, planned clinics and bookings, such as antenatal appointments and annual checks, as well as medication reviews."

A spokesman for the Department of Health said: "We are committed to improving access to GPs, and thanks to sticking with our plan for a faster, simpler, fairer healthcare system, we are now delivering 50 million more GP appointments per year.

“Our Primary Care Recovery Plan, backed by £645 million over two years, marks a major investment into primary care services. This includes expanding the services offered by community pharmacies through Pharmacy First which will help free up to 10 million GP appointments per year.

“We are also investing £240 million on digital tools, telephony and training to ensure GP surgeries have what they need to improve access for patients.”