Why is it so hard to get a GP appointment?
There are a number of reasons why it can be difficult to get a GP appointment, including:
1. High demand
There are many reasons for the high demand for GP appointments, including a growing population, an ageing demographic with complex illnesses, and increased awareness and expectation of healthcare services.
At MyHSN, we call it PACE:
- People – too many
- Age – too old
- Complexity – too many complex problems
- Expectation – too high.
2. GP shortage (and number patients per GP in the UK)
There are fewer GPs than ever before, due to retirement, doctors leaving the profession, and difficulties in recruiting new GPs.
Number patients per GP in the UK
In the UK, the average number of patients per full-time equivalent (FTE) GP is 2,293 as of July 2024. This is an increase of 18% since 2015, and is due to a number of factors, including:
- A declining GP workforce
- An increase in the number of patients
- Early retirements
- Difficulty recruiting staff or GP partners.
The average number of patients per GP practice in England is 10,000 as of December 2023. This figure has been increasing since 2016, when the average was 7,700 patients per GP practice.
3. Workload
For all of the above reasons, GPs have heavy workloads, managing many patients and dealing with administrative tasks and home visits. This is leading to alot of burnout; leading to many GPs retiring early, or going part-time. This further increases the workload, making the whole thing worse.
4. Space
GP practices are often small, making it difficult to find space for doctors to sit.
5. Lack of funding
There is a lack of capital investment into estates.
6. COVID-19
COVID-19 has contributed towards a backlog in GPs.
Summary
We have described why is it so hard to get a GP appointment. We are very sorry about this issue and are trying hard to fix it.
