Waiting times to see a GP across the UK are getting longer by the minute, from my own experience working full time quite a distance from home, it is almost impossible for me to see a GP unless I book weeks in advance or book time off work.
An article from The Telegraph from May 2015 predicted the average waiting time for a GP appointment by 2016 would be two weeks yet an article published earlier this week has revealed the average waiting time is now three weeks with up to 4 million people queuing to see a GP on the same day.
Maybe it is time to introduce the 7-day access to GPs sooner than 2020? It is becoming apparent that we need more GPs, longer opening hours and a better access to GPs all-round. Figures have decreased drastically over the past 12 months so what situation will the primary care sector be in in 2020?
SURGERIES IN LOCUM CRISIS
- Nine in ten surgeries are now forced to rely on locums because they are so short of permanent GPs, according to a survey.
- A poll of 2,814 surgeries also found that half struggle even to hire locums as they are in so much demand.
- The British Medical Association survey found that recruitment problems were most severe in the South and South West of the country where six in ten surgeries regularly have trouble hiring locums.
- Dr Chaand Nagpaul, chairman of the BMA’s GP committee, said: ‘If a GP locum cannot be found many practices struggle to offer enough appointments to meet their patients’ needs.’
- An NHS England spokesman said: ‘There are more than 5,000 more full-time equivalent GPs than ten years ago but we recognise that general practice is under pressure.’
Article in Daily Mail
Key Locums have over 5000 GPs on our database with over 1000 outstanding sessions needing to be filled from surgeries who are struggling to find GP cover due to the high demand of patients requesting appointments.
The average GP works 35 hours per week and locum GPs are in high demand with surgeries escalating rates just to fill their last minute vacancies. So why don’t GPs want to work longer hours? Where are all the Locum GPs hiding?
