A rise in the amount of patients who need care, along with a shortage of GPs threatens to overwhelm practices. The sharp rise comes as pandemic continues.
The Health Foundation is analysing data by NHS England following over 28 million appointments being booked in May this year. This is amongst the highest amount of appointments on record.
The escalating problem has left patient groups calling for an urgent review of the system. A particular focus is on access to services after multiple public announcements of patients struggling to get through to surgeries.
With a shortage of GP’s, doctors believe this is simply ‘undoable’.
The report is alarming. Cancer referrals are drastically down by 15%, potentially putting the lives of patients at risk. In addition to this, the amount of patients seen face to face in surgery has dropped to just 54%.
Pandemic leaves ‘tsunami of patients coming to’ GP’s
28.4 million people made appointments in March with either a GP or a practice nurse. Dr Dean Eggitt says “it feels like a river has flooded the banks” following the pandemic.
The Doncaster based GP says “it just keeps coming and coming and coming in one massive, endless wave”.
It is not just GP’s that are to blame. The pandemic has stopped many sick patients coming forward through fear of contracting Covid. Oxford GP Dr Becks Fisher says many patients are staying away despite having serious conditions. Conditions like heart failure and respiratory problems.
By staying away Dr Fisher believes “their health will have deteriorated” as they didn’t get the help they needed. The patients who do visit GPs are presenting with more serious illnesses and “really complex problems”.
The reluctance to go in is making health conditions, which could potentially be treated quite easily, much worse. Delaying treatment is causing a rippling effect on hospital admissions. This, along with a significant rise in Mental Health issues, threatens to cripple surgeries.
Pandemic stopped GP appointments, which need to resume
It is assumed that one of the main causes of concern, is the lack of face to face appointments. Social Distancing, and Infection Control, led many GP’s to over remote appointments. Now the pandemics easing, Healthwatch England is calling for a urgent review.
This ongoing issue has been continuing since May. NHS England wrote to GP’s months ago, instructing them to offer face to face appointments if patient want. They were also given further funding to help.
This move has not been well received by GP’s. BMA GP leader Dr Richard Vautrey cites “anger and frustration” at the letter amongst GP’s. They feel the letter does not take into factor the “incredible contribution” GP’s make to the ongoing vaccination programme. Nearly three quarters of jabs have been given in GP settings.
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