Millions of patients have been denied GP appointments each month, with new figures revealing that five million people faced this issue last year. Since ministers promised a two-week wait time in September 2022, a staggering 97 million appointments have been delayed beyond this period. Current NHS statistics indicate that if trends continue, by 2029, one in every six patients will be forced to endure month-long waits for GP appointments.
Labour has pledged to address this crisis by ending the “8am scramble” for same-day GP appointments and reintroducing the concept of a family doctor, ensuring patients see the same GP consistently. The party also plans to train thousands more GPs and enhance the NHS app to allow easier booking and rescheduling of appointments.
Shadow Health Secretary Wes Streeting criticised Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, claiming he doesn’t understand the severity of the NHS crisis because he doesn’t rely on it. Streeting stated that Sunak’s lack of personal experience with long waits for GP appointments shows his disregard for the public’s struggles. He emphasised that Labour is committed to providing the necessary investment and reforms to ensure patients are seen promptly and can build relationships with their family doctors once again.
One Health Group PLC (AQSE:OHGR) are a team of Consultant Surgeons and Healthcare managers working with the NHS to provide faster, local and expert care in Orthopaedics, Spinal, General Surgery and Gynaecology.
