NHS Confederation responds to the latest GP appointments and GP workforce statistics

Responding to the latest GP appointments and GP workforce statistics, Ruth Rankine, director of primary care at the NHS Confederation said:

“In spite of all the surrounding pressures the service has faced in recent months, these figures show how hard GPs and their staff are working for their patients. Over 29 million appointments were delivered in June, nearly two million more than in May, with 70% delivered face to face and over 40% delivered on the same day. This all proves a phenomenal achievement and effort by GPs and their teams.

“While general practice continues to work above and beyond, they are still continuing to do this amidst the repetitive cycle of drops in fully qualified GPs and number of practices. We know that the recently published long term workforce plan will address retention and recruitment of staff, however this plan will not be implemented over night and will take a long time. 

"This highlights the importance of sustained investment in primary care, new ways of working and collaborating at scale, which is why we need commitment to Primary Care Networks beyond 23/24. This in turn will help retain the workforce, supporting staff to continue to care for their patients efficiently and effectively.”