NEWS FOCUS

Two million more GP appointments a month are being delivered for patients compared to the same month before the pandemic, as part of the NHS primary care access recovery plan.

New NHS data published today shows more than 25.7 million appointments (excluding COVID vaccinations) were delivered by GP practices in December 2023, an increase of 9% compared to pre-pandemic.

‘GP teams carried out 2 million more appointments for patients in December compared with the same month in 2019 before the pandemic. The NHS published a plan last year to improve access to GP services, which includes upgrading telephone systems to make it easier for people to contact their general practice, while more than 36,000 additional staff have joined GP teams since 2019 to deliver even more appointments,’ said Dr Amanda Doyle, NHS England National Director for Primary Care and Community Services.

‘This is incredible progress from hardworking teams across the country and we are determined to make it easier to access services around people's busy lives, so if you are concerned about your health please come forward for care.’