Arundel and South Downs MP, Andrew Griffith, has welcomed the continued increase of GP appointments being made available across all surgeries following concerns about availability last year.
In his extensive recent survey of constituents about their experiences of the NHS, access to GP appointments at local practices was the number one issue raised. When residents obtained an appointment, there was a good level of satisfaction with their GP practice.
GP practices have been steadily recovering after the disruption that Covid brought with it increased back logs of demand as well as the pressure from the unsustainably high level of housing development that West Sussex communities have suffered from. The demand on GPs still remains high but it is evident from the data that new initiatives are helping to ease the pressure.
The published statistics by NHS England for February 2024 reveals data right down to individual GP practice level. Nationally, NHS practices delivered more than 35 million appointments and more than 66% of those were face to face appointments. 44% of appointments were booked on the same day.
In Arundel and South Downs, which is comprised of a rural swathe of West Sussex, GPs have provided data which in some practices surpasses the national figures. Pulborough Medical Group and Angmering Medical Centre were among those who delivered more than half of their appointments on the very same day that they were requested.
The Croft Surgery in Eastergate and The Glebe Surgery in Storrington and The Cowfold Surgery are amongst those delivering higher than the national average proportion of face-to-face appointments. And the data shows that some practices are making good use of digital devices for some of their appointments, including at The Petworth Surgery and The Steyning Medical Practice.
With GPs now able to offer patients more choice in how they wish to consult with their GP, they are better able to meet the demand for their time and services. This also includes increasing the range of health and care professionals available in GP practices, and upgrading the phone systems to improve patient experience when they first call.
Andrew’s NHS survey last year found only 41% only of respondents found it easy to contact their surgery by telephone, meaning almost 60% were having difficulties. Only 32% had ever booked an appointment online.
Commenting, Andrew Griffith MP said:
“I am grateful for the efforts that our local GP surgeries have made to improve access to appointments, ensuring that patients can choose face to face if they wish and that a significant proportion of residents get an appointment the very day that they call. This was the biggest issue in my NHS survey earlier this year and I will continue to monitor this closely.”
Note:
The statistics quoted are drawn from data published by NHS England at
