Labour will set out plans to train more GPs and reform primary
care today, as it’s revealed that millions of patients have
waited longer for a GP appointment than promised by the
Conservatives. In the five months since the government pledged an
end to waits of more than 2 weeks, 24 million appointments have
been held more than 2 weeks after requested, almost 5 million a
month on average.
The government published a plan pledging GP appointments within 2
weeks in September, although they did not set a date by which
this would be achieved. Since then, almost five million patients
a month have had to wait more than a fortnight to see a doctor.
There were 1.2 million more late appointments in February than
the same month last year, meaning patients were almost 50% more
likely to wait longer than two weeks.
In 2010, the Conservatives scrapped the guarantee for patients to
be seen within 48 hours, implemented by the last Labour
government, and failed over the past 13 years to train enough
GPs. Despite promising to recruit 5,000 more GPs in their 2015
manifesto and 6,000 more in their 2019 manifesto, there are 2,000
fewer GPs today than in 2015. As a result, each GP is having to
look after an extra 348 patients today compared with 2015.
The news comes as Labour’s Shadow Health Secretary, Wes Streeting
is due to set out the party’s plans to fundamentally reform the
NHS, bringing healthcare much closer to communities and
neighbourhoods, including:
- Double the number of doctors trained to 15,000 a year, paid
for by abolishing the non-dom tax status, so patients can see a
GP when they need to
- Guarantee patients face-to-face appointments for those who
want them
- Bring back the family doctor, so patients can see their
preferred doctor every appointment.
, Shadow Health Secretary,
said:
“Patients are finding it impossible to get a GP appointment when
they need one, after 13 years of Conservative broken promises and
understaffing of the NHS.
“These unacceptable waiting times mean illness will go
undiagnosed for longer, while patients are left in pain and
discomfort for weeks, or even months.
“Labour will fix the front door to the NHS, starting by doubling
medical school places, so we train 7,500 extra doctors and 10,000
more nurses a year. We will pay for it by abolishing the non-dom
tax status, because patients need doctors and nurses more than
the wealthiest need a tax break.”
ENDS
Notes to editors
- The Government made the pledge that patients would be able to
see a GP within 2 weeks in September.
Patients will be promised
GP appointments within two weeks, health secretary to say | ITV
News
- NHS GP appointments data is here:
Appointments in General
Practice, February 2023 - NDRS (digital.nhs.uk)
- There are 2,087 fewer fully-qualified FTE GPs working today
than in September 2015
General Practice
Workforce, 28 February 2023 - NDRS (digital.nhs.uk)
