NHS Data Reveals Rise in Post-Pandemic GP Appointments
Millions more patients a month are receiving GP appointments compared to before the pandemic, with November 2023 becoming the busiest November on record for GP teams.
According to the data, which was released last week, four million more GP appointments a month are being delivered compared to the same month before the pandemic, as part of the NHS primary care access recovery plan.
In November last year, more than 31.4 million appointments (excluding vaccinations) were delivered for patients by GP practices, with seven in ten appointments being delivered face-to-face. All GP practices must offer face-to-face appointments as well as telephone and online consultations,.
The data also showed that more than two fifths (42.6%) of appointments were booked and attended on the same day, up 3.3% on the previous month. Furthermore, almost seven in ten appointments were attended within seven days of booking, up 4.5% on the previous month.
The NHS have set out to boost access to GPs
In May 2023, a range of measures were introduced with the aim to boost patient access to GP services, including giving patients more ways to access care for common conditions from high street pharmacies.
It is expected that these measures will free up an approximate 10 million GP appointments a year by next winter.
Moreover, with 80% of people in England living within a 20-walk of a pharmacy, the NHS hopes that the move will offer more choice in where and how they access care.
Investment in better phone technology has also to date enabled 80% of GP practices to upgrade their telephone systems making it easier to patients to contact them. The remaining practices are set to be upgraded by March this year.
Dr Amanda Doyle, NHS England National Director for Primary Care and Community Services, said: “GP teams are carrying out record numbers of appointments for patients with the latest statistics published today showing four million more appointments were delivered in November 2023 compared to the same period before the pandemic – making it the busiest November on record.
The NHS published a plan last year to improve access to GP services, which includes upgrading telephone systems to make it easier for people to contact their general practice while more than 34,000 additional staff have joined GP teams since 2019 to deliver even more appointments.
“This is incredible progress from hardworking teams across the country and we are determined to make it easier to access services around people’s busy lives, so if you are concerned about your health please come forward for care.”
Primary care staff targets have been surpassed
The goal to recruit 26,000 additional staff into healthcare roles in general practices by March 2024 has already been exceeded, with over 34,000 new recruits since 2019.
Furthermore, the NHS has trained close to 2,500 staff members to better assess patient need upon first contact, so they can ensure they see the right health professional in their general practice. The NHS reports that thousands more staff are to be trained over the coming months.
