Patients at some doctor’s surgeries in the Bristol regionhave to wait far longer for appointments than at others, NHS figures show.
General Practice Access Data shows how many patients had to wait more than four weeks for an appointment at their local practice in October, revealing the strain many surgeries are under.
Across England, nearly half of appointments in October (49%) took place on the day they were booked, analysis of the NHS Digital data found. However, 640,000 appointments - 3% of the total - took place more than 28 days later.
These are the 11 GP practices in the Bristol region with the highest percentage of appointments involving waits of more than 28 days. Practices which had fewer than 100 appointments in October have been omitted.
The practies all come under the NHS Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire Integrated Care Board. A spokesperson said the number of appointments in the region - including face-to-face, telephone and home visits - had more than doubled to 514,544 in October from April 2020, when there were 254,815.
“We know how important it is for people to receive prompt GP practice care in a way that suits their needs. Practices are offering more appointments than ever, with a variety of health professionals supporting people with their health and care.
“Helping people receive the right care and support when they need it, whether that’s a face-to-face appointment, a phone consultation or a video call – and listening and responding to people’s needs and preferences, is something local practices do every day. While this data is still experimental and not a measure or indication of practice quality or patient care, it does provide useful insight into the delivery of GP practice appointments, so we will continue to review the data and respond as needed.
“Primary Care staff are going to incredible lengths in challenging circumstances. We thank them for their continued hard work and dedication, and are asking the public to continue to treat them with kindness and respect.”