Around 91,000 patients called 999 or turned up to A&E after struggling to see GP this year

AROUND 91,000 patients called 999 or went to A&E after struggling to see a GP this year, stats have found.

A further 180,000 had to call the 111 line because “the GP could not help that day”.

The Office for National Statistics data found 0.6 per cent of people in England said the last time they contacted their GP they ended up seeking urgent treatment.

One in 12 people aged 16 and above in England said they were unable to get through to their GP the last time they tried.

Another 11.5 per cent only managed to make contact two or more days after an initial attempt.

Another 11.5 per cent only managed to make contact two or more days after an initial attempt.

And almost one in three described contacting the family doctor as either difficult or very difficult.

It comes after recent research by the King’s Fund revealed only a third of people said they were satisfied with GP services, the lowest level of satisfaction recorded since the survey began in 1983.

Lib Dem Health Spokesperson, Daisy Cooper, said: “These shocking figures show once again that the GP crisis is piling pressure onto our hospitals and ambulance services, as desperate patients resort to turning up at A&E or calling 999 instead.

“GPs act as the front door to the NHS, but for far too many people that door has been slammed shut after years of Conservative neglect.

“It is a national scandal, and the consequences are devastating.”