Millions of UK patients struggle to access GP services: Report

By Yasin Gungor

ISTANBUL (AA) – Over one million patients in the UK failed to contact their general practitioners (GPs) in December, highlighting growing concerns about access to primary healthcare, according to research by the Liberal Democrats.

Data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS), cited by the Daily Mail on Wednesday, revealed that 4.8 million people were unable to reach their GP on the same day they attempted to make contact.

Approximately 2.2 million patients faced delays of several days to secure an appointment, while over 1.1 million were unable to access their National Health Service (NHS) GP at all during the month.

Fewer than half of those who managed to get appointments had face-to-face consultations, with more than 100,000 patients reportedly being advised to self-manage their conditions.

The Liberal Democrats, who analyzed the data, urged immediate government action to resolve the crisis.

“Millions of people are being forced to wait in pain for weeks just to get a GP appointment,” said Jess Brown-Fuller, the party’s spokeswoman for hospitals and primary care.

The Daily Mail also quoted a spokeswoman for the Department of Health and Social Care, who outlined plans to recruit 1,000 additional GPs and proposed an £889 million ($1.12 billion) funding package to enhance primary care services.

The department further aims to reinstate the family doctor system, ensuring patients consistently see the same doctor at each appointment.