You must have felt the pain (pun intended) of trying to make an appointment with a GP. Unless you commit to calling hundreds of times at 8am as soon as they open, you could be waiting weeks to see your GP.
So what is the cause of these delays? Read on to find out.
Too many patients
It is important to note that the massive number of patients requiring special attention is a major cause of significant delays. Population growth and aging have led to increased demand for medical care. This increase in the number of patients imposes an enormous workload on general practitioners. It’s not that they don’t want to see you – the problem is that they can’t.
It doesn’t help that more and more people are seeing GPs for conditions that should be seen by specialists or in hospitals, making the problem worse. Many patients consult GPs for things that could have been better managed differently based on certain deficiencies and restrictions in the healthcare system.
An almost endless list of people go without seeing a doctor for several days or even weeks, as the number of slots available in any given day tends to be very limited compared to this overwhelming number of patients. It’s simply a matter of supply and demand, where the former is overwhelmed by the latter. If you have been struggling to see your local GP for some time, you can look into the following services: anytimedoctor.co.uk for a general practitioner appointment online.
Increasing complexities for patients
One of the main reasons for this delay is that patient needs are becoming increasingly complex. Today’s GPs deal with everything from simple illnesses like the flu or minor injuries, to chronic illnesses, mental health issues and complex multimorbidities – they literally have to cover it all in their practice.
Patients suffering from chronic illnesses like diabetesHeart disease and asthma require regular follow-ups, detailed consultations and personalized care plans. These appointments naturally take longer and are more frequent, increasing the workload of GPs. Additionally, due to increasing cases of mental health disorders, many patients require extended visits to discuss manifestations and treatment options.
This increasing complexity means that each patient visit takes longer, reducing available appointment slots while increasing wait times for everyone.
Lack of general staff
Another crucial factor is the lack of general medical staff. HAS give yourself the numbers – per 10,000 inhabitants, England has 7.8 general practitioners. How quickly do you think GPs can see so many people? Supply doesn’t match demand because there simply aren’t enough doctors available to meet their needs.
Many GPs quit their jobs or reduce their working hours because they are overwhelmed by fatigue and other work demands – and these figures help you understand why.
However, the length of doctor training processes means that attempts to attract new doctors have been unsuccessful relative to the number of GPs the health system needs. There remains an insufficient number of qualified doctors leaving medical schools.
As you can see, the reasons for long waiting times for GP appointments involve many factors. Solving these problems requires a comprehensive approach. In the meantime, expect to continue waiting for what seems like a lifetime for a standard GP appointment at your local practice.
