Surprising figures reveal that greater than 3 million sufferers are having to attend at the least three weeks to see their physician.
NHS figures present there have been 30.4 million appointments in England final month.
However 3.2 million bookings have been made virtually a month upfront — that’s one in each 10.
It represents an increase of virtually 400,000 appointments ready greater than 22 days in only one month, highlighting a dire disaster during which disgruntled sufferers are being pressured to desert NHS surgical procedures and go to personal or overcrowded A&E models.
Separate knowledge right now additionally revealed that GP satisfaction within the UK fell to an all-time low final yr.
Campaigners have lengthy warned that delays attributable to a scarcity of GPs put sufferers susceptible to severe sicknesses being identified late or not being identified altogether.
Figures launched right now by NHS England present virtually half of all incidents occurred on the identical day (44.6 per cent), barely larger than final month.
Practically a 3rd (30.7 p.c) needed to wait greater than per week.
The figures for England additionally confirmed that two thirds (65.4 per cent) of GP consultations occurred face-to-face.
Nevertheless, NHS figures have lengthy proven that GPs are below large strain and are treating file numbers of individuals.
Household physicians, who earn a mean six-figure wage, have reported having to take as much as 90 appointments a day, a conveyor belt-like state of affairs.
The BMA recommends that GPs ought to provide not more than 25 appointments per day to make sure protected care.
The newest NHS figures present there have been simply over 27,600 absolutely certified full-time equal GPs working throughout England in April.
That is virtually 2,000 lower than the determine recorded in the identical month in 2016.
That is when the inhabitants has elevated by about 2 million in the identical interval.
Dr Amanda Doyle, nationwide director for main care at NHS England, stated right now: 'Due to GPs and their hardworking groups, thousands and thousands extra appointments are being delivered every month than earlier than the pandemic, and plans are in place to enhance entry even additional.
'Each GP apply is upgrading their phone system to make it simpler for sufferers to contact their surgeon, whereas sufferers can use the NHS app to get repeat prescriptions and examine their take a look at outcomes with out having to contact their household physician.
'We all know there may be extra work to do to make it simpler for sufferers to entry GP companies and that's why, constructing on the successes of the Major Care Entry Restoration Plan to date, we proceed to increase pharmacy companies and provide sufferers extra selection in how they entry care.'
However the figures launched right now additionally present that GP affected person satisfaction has reached its lowest stage within the wake of the pandemic.
Figures compiled by the Workplace for Nationwide Statistics present there was a 'statistically important decline' within the proportion of respondents reporting a constructive general expertise of normal apply.
In 2022, the most recent comparable yr for England, Scotland and Wales, the proportion of sufferers reporting a constructive general expertise was highest in Wales (86 per cent).
That is adopted by England (72 per cent) and Scotland, the place the determine is simply over two-thirds (67 per cent).
Nevertheless, extra individuals in Scotland discovered it ‘very simple’ or ‘simple’ (50 per cent) to contact their GP apply, in contrast with England (43 per cent) and Wales (39 per cent).
Sufferers proceed to specific frustration with entry, significantly in relation to in-person appointments.
GPs say they’re overwhelmed by the pressures of a rising and ageing inhabitants, a scarcity of presidency funding and a scarcity of docs.
Household docs have additionally warned {that a} strike stays a risk, after a referendum amongst household docs carried out by the British Medical Affiliation discovered that 99 per cent of 19,000 respondents rejected the brand new NHS contract.
Ministers have additionally quietly scrapped a promise to rent 6,000 extra GPs, a key a part of Boris Johnson’s election-winning manifesto. Simply 2,000 extra household docs have been recruited since 2019.
GP surgical procedures have additionally confronted rising ranges of harassment, assault and verbal abuse in opposition to employees in latest months.
