GPs will be made to offer patients same-day appointments for ‘urgent’ health needs from April under the terms of a new NHS contract.
The British Medical Association said the move would likely be presented as a ‘major win’ for patient access, but family doctors will be ‘left reeling’ at the requirement.
It comes as a concerning new survey reveals nearly half of the public (48 per cent) avoided or delayed contacting their GP about a health concern last year.
People cited problems contacting their local practice, opting to wait for the problem to go away and not expecting to be offered a suitable appointment as some of the primary reasons behind their decision.
But two in five respondents (42 per cent) think the general standard of care provided by the NHS declined in the last year, and only one in eight (12 per cent) believe it has improved.
Tim Gardner, assistant director of policy at the Health Foundation, which commissioned the survey, said: ‘Our findings signal that too often people are going without the care they need, which risks storing up health problems further down the line and placing more strain on an already stretched service.’
A report compiled by the think tank says that public confidence in the Government’s NHS policies ‘remains low’, with 54 per cent disagreeing that their government has the right policies for the NHS compared to just 15 per cent who agree.
It comes as the Government pledged to increase access to family doctors in England via a new GP contract, backed by a £485 million investment.
According to the contract, any patient who has an urgent need must be able to schedule a same-day GP visit.
A separate £300 million of existing money in the service will be ring-fenced to help recruit additional GPs or increase hours of current family doctors, the Department of Health and Social Care said.
Chris McCann, acting chief executive at Healthwatch England, said: ‘People consistently tell us that GP services are becoming harder to use and that simply getting through the door for care can be a challenge.
‘For example, we often hear from individuals who wait in long telephone queues for an appointment, only to be told that all slots have been taken for the day and that they must try again tomorrow.
‘Plans to recruit more doctors should make it easier for patients to get appointments and ensure urgent cases are handled more quickly.’
Additionally, the contract mandates that general practitioners (GPs) utilise a procedure whereby they consult hospital consultants before sending patients to them for specialised treatment.
I’ll believe this when it actually happens. Firstly, our concept of ‘urgent’ and their idea of ‘urgent’ are two totally different things, and secondly, don’t get your hopes up, at best it will be a telephone consultation.
I’m not sure how it’s going to work in some places where you can’t get an appointment because the doctors are down at the local hotel giving priority treatment to leeches who are coming over in small boats. In some areas, they can’t even get a police presence, but a call from one of these establishments, and they turn up blues and twos.
Then, if you do get through to your surgery, you have to get through the receptionist first after waiting in a queue, and then you’re told that they can only offer you a phone appointment. Receptionists should all be employed by Border Force because they let no one in!
THE MONTHLY MOSQUITO 