GPs have provided four million more appointments in a month, compared to the same period before the pandemic, new figures have shown.
NHS Digital data published today shows more than 31.4 million appointments – excluding vaccinations – were delivered by GP practices in November last year, with NHS England saying it was ‘the busiest November on record for GP teams’.
The commissioner credited its primary care recovery plan with the increase in appointments provided.
The plan, published in May last year, announced £240m of funding for practices to ‘embrace latest technology’, with a focus on replacing old analogue phone systems.
NHS England said that this investment in phone technology for GP teams as part of the plan has meant that eight in 10 GP practices have already upgraded their telephone systems, with the remaining practices signed up to make the move by March.
The new data also shows almost seven in ten GP appointments were delivered face-to-face in November, and that more than two fifths (42.6%) of appointments were booked and attended on the same day, up 3.3% on the previous month and almost seven in ten appointments were attended within seven days of booking, up 4.5% on the previous month.
NHS England national director for primary care and community services Dr Amanda Doyle said: ‘GP teams are carrying out record numbers of appointments for patients with the latest statistics published today showing four million more appointments were delivered in November 2023 compared to the same period before the pandemic – making it the busiest November on record.
‘This is incredible progress from hardworking teams across the country and we are determined to make it easier to access services around people’s busy lives, so if you are concerned about your health please come forward for care.
‘The NHS published a plan last year to improve access to GP services, which includes upgrading telephone systems to make it easier for people to contact their general practice while more than 34,000 additional staff have joined GP teams since 2019 to deliver even more appointments.’
However, Dr Doyle told Pulse last year that having a new telephone system ‘is not the answer on its own’, and that it must be combined with other digital tools to improve patient experience.
Speaking during a debate on access to primary care in the House of Commons in October, then health secretary Steve Barclay told MPs that 100% of GP practices ‘want to put digital telephony in place if they have not already done so’.
Practices had to sign up by mid-December in order to receive the funding, which will not be available beyond the end of March.
And Pulse revealed that almost half of GPs who have already implemented ‘modern’ access measures prescribed by the recovery plan say it has not helped improve access.
In November, the Government claimed to have met its pledge to create 50 million more GP appointments a year by 2024/25.
4 million more appointments but no data about how effective/whether completed instances of care. Just crass politically driven NHSE window dressing whilst those that actually make a difference (GPs and PNs) crash and burn under increasing demand
Situation is so good and so brilliant that nobody wants to do the job. Likely many of these additional appointments are ARRS anyway, so likely create more work.
bonkers Staff are worn out Patients expect more and more 2′ care issues increase primary care work ever more
‘we are determined to make it easier to access services around people’s busy lives, so if you are concerned about your health please come forward for care….’ Now therre is a statment to gladden the hearts of all GPs.
Evidence that GP is managing an ever larger clinical workload with fewer GPs and a reduced share of NHS funding – not exactly a success story to be all celebratory about. More likely an unsustainable situation that threatens the viability of the service.
And they constantly bang on about “access”?!
Itchy nose needs one appointment with the receptionist to triage, one telephone appointment with the “clinician” wfh, then a double f2f appointment with interpreter for examination. Bingo, 4 times the appointments!
Saw 3 persons for same problem ,cannot remember who they were – then finally saw GP. Many appointments for same issues and outcome of delayed diagnosis . Further complaint to deal with after referral to secondary care or A&E visit. Sounds like system crashing not recovering. No wonder there are additional appointments