Millions wait more than a fortnight to see a GP in England

Nearly five million patients each month in England wait more than a fortnight for a GP appointment, NHS figures show, which Labour is calling "unacceptable".

The government says it expects all patients needing a GP appointment to be seen within two weeks.

The Royal College of GPs says 85% of appointments happen within two weeks and nearly half on the same day.

Those taking longer than two weeks may be routine ones for which the wait is therefore appropriate, it says.

Prof Kamila Hawthorne, who chairs the Royal College of GPs, said: "GPs and our teams are working tirelessly to deliver safe, timely and appropriate care and to give patients the choice of appointment they want.

"We share our patients' frustration when they struggle to access our care. However, this is not down to GPs and their hard-working teams, but due to decades of underfunding and poor resource planning."

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Source: BBC News, 21 April 2023