One in eight GP appointments in Leicestershire had to wait at least three weeks in May, new figures show.
According to the latest figures from the NHS, there were 640,165 GP appointments in the region in May. Two-thirds of those – 65.6 percent – occurred less than a week after booking, with 41.5 percent occurring on the same day. But 12 per cent of appointments in Leicestershire took place more than three weeks apart, higher than the national average of 9.8 per cent.
However, Grant Ingrams, executive chairman of the Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland Regional Medical Committee, has criticized the move as “short-sighted”.
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The two longest-staying surgeries in Leicestershire in May were Hugglescote Surgery, Grange Road, Hugglescote, near Coalville, and Fosse Medical Centre, Forsse Road North, West End, Leicester. 31 percent of appointments took place more than three weeks after they were both separated.
Another West End surgery, Briton Street Surgery, Narborough Road, near Bede Park, had the best results, with 0.3 per cent of appointments in May taking place three weeks after their allocation.
You can see how long patients usually wait for an appointment at your local GP using our gadget here:
Nationally, the picture was similar in Leicestershire, where 69.2 per cent of the 30 million GP appointments around England in May took place in the same week they were booked, but 9.8 per cent more than three weeks later.
However, in some parts of the country, patients had to wait longer than others to see their doctor. Gloucestershire had the longest wait in England, with 17.7 per cent of appointments missing for at least three weeks.
The best performing area was the surgeries covered by the North Central London Integrated Care Board, where 3.9 per cent of appointments took more than three weeks.
In response to the figures, Mr Ingram said: “Using the length of time patients wait for GP appointments as a performance measure is short-sighted and leads to less responsive services for patients. Patients often need reviews to book in one or two months. Or Scheduled injections, receiving other treatments at regular intervals or a non-urgent service that can be booked in advance for a patient’s convenience may be required.
“Using time as a performance tool will encourage practices to force patients to book a maximum of a week or so in advance, meaning patients won’t be able to plan time off from work, plan childcare or avoid holidays or other important events. .
“We must celebrate that general practices are the most productive part of the NHS. Despite significant reductions in the number of GPs and funding, combined with the increasing need for health services and the population, general practices are making larger appointments locally than before. The pandemic.
“General practice funding in England has fallen by £660 million a year (11 per cent) in the last five years alone, while the population has risen by 18 per cent since 2015. General practices now receive just £107.07 per patient per year. , an average of seven contacts Those with each pay just 30p a day to cover each patient’s total needs – less than the price of an apple.
“There are now 2,000 fewer fully qualified GPs in England than in 2019. Each GP in Leicester City now cares for 720 extra patients, 324 in Leicestershire West and 432 in Leicestershire East and Rutland. If GPs registered a safe number of patients, this would be three million local people. A portion will be left without GP.
“The percentage of appointments made over an arbitrary period of time is not related to quality of care or patient satisfaction and should never be considered in isolation.”
A spokesperson for Force Medical Center said, “We are passionate about providing a great experience of care at this practice. We prioritize and demand continuity of care for our patients who need it, so they can see the same doctor every time.
“This is particularly important for many of our patients with long-term conditions and we book their appointments well in advance to allow for this. Routine appointments, such as medication reviews, are also booked, sometimes more than 28 days in advance.
“Patients choose to join and stay with the practice because of their positive experience of care, which means our list size has grown by almost four thousand patients over the past few years.
“This makes it more difficult for some patients to get an appointment as quickly as we would like, but our high friends and family test scores and general GP patient survey results are testament to the efforts the entire practice team is making. After the needs of our patients.”
A spokesperson for Hugglescote Surgery said: “The number of days between booking an appointment and attending is often at the patient’s discretion. However, we understand how frustrating and anxious it can be for anyone who has to wait longer than necessary and that is not what we want for our patients.
“We are working very hard to make it easier for patients to get the treatment they need. From August 1, we will introduce a new appointment system called Total Triage. All patients are asked to fill an online form with details of what they need.
“Patients who are unable to use this online system will still be able to get help over the phone. All questionnaires will be reviewed by a physician the same day, who will determine which member of the healthcare team is best suited to help. How soon the patient should be seen and if they are face-to-face.” Whether to see by face or other means.
“Through this new way of working, patients will receive the right treatment for their specific health problem, wait times will be reduced and those with the most urgent needs will be prioritized for same-day care.”
A spokesman for NHS Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland Integrated Care Board said: “GP practices locally want to make it easier for patients to get the care they need and are working hard to do this. The dates between booking an appointment and the appointment taking place will depend on several factors including availability of appointments at the practice, patient attendance, urgency of the appointment and GP advice.
“May 24 at 640,165 Appointments were booked across Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland, an increase of more than 39,000 on the same period last year, the number of appointments per 1000 patients was around 8 per cent higher than the national average and the proportion of face-to-face visits was high. Face appointments.
“Practices are now very different to what some patients are accustomed to and introducing new telephone and appointment systems, supporting patients to use new technology and their health professionals using their mix in creative ways.
“They work as part of a wider network, organizing care outside of a regular practice setting. They work with other practices in groups called primary care networks to provide extra capacity outside of normal surgery hours, including on Saturdays.
“Local pharmacies see patients for them and provide prescriptions for several common conditions, as well as oral contraceptives, exempting GP appointments. When the practice cannot meet a patient’s needs and the patient cannot wait until the next day, all practices. Appointments can be arranged at our urgent care centers. .
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