Primary care continues to deliver but the Government needs to start defending services

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

“In the face of the huge and sustained pressure across the NHS which is already feeling like winter, staff working across primary care continue to make significant strides in recovering and restoring access to general practice whilst meeting increasing demand for services.

“At 26 million, the total number of appointments was 5.5 per cent higher in July than it was in the same month in 2019 during pre-pandemic levels, with almost two thirds of all appointments delivered face-to-face. This is in the context of fewer practices and GPs but more patients registered month on month.

“It is therefore vital that the Government starts to defend our primary care services and support them to continue to do their best in the face of the challenges ahead. This includes fully resourcing its workforce and providing the capital investment it desperately needs.”