Key Summary
- NHS GP teams delivered 33.6M appointments in July, the busiest July ever and up 4.3% from last year
- Over 2,000 new GPs recruited since October as access and patient satisfaction improve
- NHS urges people to take part in autumn vaccination campaigns ahead of winter
The general practice teams of the NHS offered 33.6 million appointments in July this year, which is 4.3 percent higher than the year before and nearly a quarter on the same period before pandemic in 2019.
With June also witnessing a surge in appointments, the NHS is on-track for its busiest summer ever in general practice.
The GP teams also conducted high numbers of care home visits (127,112), which is the second highest.
For the NHS GPs, summers usually is a lean time with less health concerns such as flu and other respiratory issues. But this year, practices have been dealing with a surge in people coming forward for treatment.
The government has been trying to improve GP numbers, with over 2,000 new appointments since last October, including 29 in the past month.
“GPs are integral to our Plan for Change, playing a vital role in our seismic shift in care from hospital to community and delivering a health service fit for the future,” said care minister Stephen Kinnock.
Dr Amanda Doyle, national director for primary and community services at NHS England said, “General practice is starting to turn a corner.”
She also pointed out that the latest ONS survey shows almost 3 in 4 people found it easy to contact their GP practice, up from six in ten less than a year ago.
She wanted people to avail the vaccination services ahead of winter.
“Our autumn vaccination campaigns are set to launch over the next couple of weeks, so whether you get an invite directly from your GP practice or find out about your entitlement through the NHS website, it’s crucial that you get vaccinated to protect yourselves,” she emphasised.
