NHS Confederation responds to the latest GP appointment figures

Responding to the latest GP appointment figures released by NHS England, Ruth Rankine, director of the Primary Care Network at the NHS Confederation, said:

"GPs and their teams in primary care have been working tirelessly to deliver more appointments than before the pandemic – two million more in December compared to December 2019 – but we know demand remains high and the sector needs more support if it is going to continue to provide the best care possible to patients and the access people want.

“The latest figures show that the majority of patients get an appointment within seven days, with more than 80% of patients seen within two weeks and more than 95% within four. There are often valid clinical reasons for appointment scheduling, such as waiting for test results or to see if medication is working. But for the patients who are unable to access the care they expect we understand how frustrating it can be, not only for them but for the workforce too.

“Targets can be an important way to improve performance, but if action is not taken to address the staffing gaps across primary care then introducing new standards would simply be setting the system up to fail.

“General practice is the bedrock of the NHS which continues to deliver for patients and with the right level of investment in workforce, technology and estates will be able to transform to do more to keep people well and out of hospital.

“Our members want to see more investment and greater flexibility so they can design and deliver services that truly meet the needs of their population.”