Surge in patients paying for GP appointments as pressure on NHS grows

Demand for private GPs has soared as patients seek out face-to-face appointments with doctors at short notice.

Spire Healthcare, one of the UK’s largest private healthcare providers, saw 32,000 GP appointments booked with it last year – up from 23,000 in 2021.

The hospital company, which runs 125 GPs, said revenues from its private doctor appointments rose by 46% in 2022.

It said demand was soaring as patients look for “fast access to longer face-to-face appointments with a GP”.

On the surge in demand, Spire Healthcare boss Justin Ash told The Telegraph: “Clearly there is a well known problem of GPs being under pressure, the 8am scramble [for appointments] is a thing. People want to be able to book online and they want to be able to book at short notice.”

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Source: The Independent, 4 March 2023