One in three patients have to wait seven days to see a GP as funding crisis grips the NHS
It comes amid warnings that a staggering 100million people will face delays within five years
MORE than one in three patients in some parts of England are forced to wait at least a week to see a GP or practice nurse, a study found.
There were 80million instances over the past year where people faced such a delay.
The Royal College of GPs warns this figure will rise to 100million within five years if the NHS fails to get more funding.
There were a further 47.5million times in 2016-17 when patients could not get an appointment. This is expected to climb to 50million.
People in Corby, Northants, face the worst delays, being made to wait a week or more 36 per cent of the time.
Patients in 21 areas of England had to wait at least a week for a quarter of appointments.
Even in Bradford City, the best performing area in the country, one in ten patients face lengthy delays.
Workload in general practice has risen 16 per cent over the past seven years, while funding has fallen.
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The number of full time-equivalent GPs also fell by 542 last year, despite a Government pledge to boost numbers by 5,000 by 2020.
Joyce Robins, from Patient Concern, said: “The situation is bleak and I don’t see an end to it.”
Prof Helen Stokes-Lampard, chairwoman of the Royal College, said: “Patients should be able to see a GP when they need to, so we’re highly concerned they are finding it so difficult to make an appointment.
If they can’t secure an appointment with their GP when they need one, it’s probable that they will return at some point to another area of the NHS, when their condition may have worsened, and where their care will cost the health service significantly more.”
An NHS England spokesman said: “We are investing over £100million extra this year and £200million next year to make it easier for people to see a GP but many patients actually prefer to wait for more convenient times.
“Predictions based on existing trends also won’t reflect the improvements our action plan will deliver over five years, such as recruiting more GPs and giving everyone access to evening and weekend appointments by 2019.”