Almost half of patients think it is easy to see their GP, according to official figures.
In comparison, only a third have difficulty getting an appointment with their GP.
The survey data collected by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) is consistent with a series of other reports exposing the reality of the never-ending appointments crisis affecting millions of Britons.
Disgruntled patients have long complained about having to go to A&E, putting additional pressure on overcrowded A&E units.
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Today’s ONS report also shows that two thirds of patients think their GP practice is ‘good’.
A fifth think the opposite and say they have had a “bad” experience.
The survey, carried out between January 16 and February 15, asked almost 90,000 participants about their experiences contacting GPs.
Among people who tried to contact their GP in the last month for themselves or someone else, 49.4 per cent said it was very easy or easy.
This figure was highest among patients from Coventry and Warwickshire (61.6 per cent), Herefordshire and Worcestershire BCI (61 per cent) and NHS Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly (59.7 per cent).
In comparison, about 31.3 percent said it was very difficult or difficult.
The proportion who found it very difficult or difficult was highest among people aged 25 to 34 (40.2 percent) and lowest among people aged 70 and older (20.4 percent).
Patients in Derby and Derbyshire found it more difficult to communicate with their GP, with 42.4 per cent saying they found it difficult or very difficult.
Similarly high figures were seen among patients in Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes (41.8 per cent) and Northamptonshire (40.4 per cent).
It comes after damning analysis yesterday revealed that almost one in 20 patients have to wait a month for an appointment.
The number of patients facing long waits of a month or more has skyrocketed 38 percent in the past year: from 12.8 to 17.6 million appointments.
In parts of the country such as the Vale of York, four-week waits have soared by 80 per cent over the same period, according to analysis of NHS data.
Patient groups said long waits are further evidence of “GP deserts” and warned the service risks “going down the same path as NHS dentistry”.
The latest NHS statistics show that in December there were just under 27,500 fully qualified GPs working across England.
This is just under 2,000 less than the figure recorded in the same month of 2016.
This despite the population growing by around 2 million during the same period.
Many GPs are retiring in their 50s, moving abroad or going private due to increasing demand, NHS red tape and aggressive media coverage.
This has led to an appointment crisis in general practice, with patients forced to endure the 8am fight. Others are forced to complete an online electronic consultation to get to their office.
GPs, who earn an average of £110,000 a year, also say they feel overwhelmed by the pressures of a growing and aging population and a lack of government funding.
Under recommendations put in place by the BMA and the European General Practitioners Union, GPs in the UK today should make no more than 25 appointments a day to ensure “safe care”.
But some doctors are reportedly having to see nearly 90 patients a day in some areas amid an appointment crisis.
GPs also warned today that strikes could still be “on the table”.
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Dr David Wrigley, vice-chairman of the British Medical Association’s (BMA) England GP Committee, warned that GPs in England are “frustrated, angry and upset”.
He told LBC: “Like our junior medical colleagues and consultants, we would never want to go on strike (but) it would be naive to think it is not on the table.”
The BMA is now considering “next steps” after a GP referendum, carried out by the union, found that 99 per cent of 19,000 respondents rejected the new NHS contract.
Separate ONS data published today on NHS waiting lists also suggested that the number of Britons waiting to access treatment could be up to 50 per cent higher than reported by official figures.
Nationally, the waiting list for routine treatments such as hip and knee replacements was around 7.58 million in January, according to monthly NHS data.
Delays skyrocketed in the wake of Covid, with strikes and staffing crises adding to the problem, despite Rishi Sunak’s efforts and promise to reduce queues.
But the ONS found that 9.7 million people in England – a fifth of all adults – are currently waiting for a hospital appointment, a test or to start receiving medical treatment through the NHS.
Some 1.4 million patients have been waiting for more than a year.
Responding to the figures, Andrew Gwynne, Labour’s shadow health minister, slammed Sunak for breaking “his promise” to cut the waiting list and called the NHS crisis “even worse than it seemed.” .
He said: ‘Remove the lid and the crisis in the NHS is even worse than it seemed. One in five people in England are stuck on waiting lists and are waiting longer than ever.
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Around 664,000 people in the UK sought private treatment in the first nine months of 2023. This marks a seven per cent increase on the previous record of 618,000 set during the same period in 2022.
‘Rishi Sunak has broken his promise to reduce waiting lists and now plans to close services and cut doctors and nurses.
«The longer the conservatives remain in power, the longer patients will wait.
‘Only the Labor Party has a plan to reduce waiting lists. We will provide two million more operations and appointments in the evenings and weekends, so that patients can again be seen on time.”
Meanwhile, Brett Hill, head of health and protection at consultancy Broadstone, said the figures show why record numbers of Britons are leaving the NHS and going private.
He added: “While NHS waiting lists and difficulties accessing GP services are not new, this latest set of data reiterates the enormous pressures currently affecting healthcare in this country.
“Of particular concern is the wide gap between reported data on NHS waiting lists and ONS survey findings, which suggests the proportion of UK adults now waiting for treatment or medical advice is much higher than what was previously thought.
“That’s why we are now seeing record private healthcare admissions driven by insurance solutions as employers fill the healthcare gap and support their staff with a range of services that can help prevent and treat problems. doctors.”
The latest figures from the Private Healthcare Information Network (PHIN), which shares information on the performance and rates of private treatments, show aAround 664,000 people in the UK sought private treatment in the first nine months of 2023.
It marks a seven percent increase from the previous record of 618,000 set during the same period in 2022.