Rise In Number Of Patients Struggling To Get Through To Doctor's Surgery On Phone, Report Shows

If you regularly experience the struggle of getting through to your GP on the phone, then you're not alone.

In fact, it's an issue facing NHS patients nationwide.

According to a new report, the number of people who call their local practice and are unable to get through is on the rise.

Meanwhile patient satisfaction is slowly declining.

Analysis by the National Audit Office (NAO) of access to GPs found that most patients say they can get an appointment but some still struggle to make one, PA reports.

The NAO observed the data of thousands of patients in England to analyse performance over the last year.

It found that three-quarters of patients get an appointment within the timeframe they want but, overall, satisfaction is slowly declining.

The proportion of patients saying they were able to get an appointment fell from 91% in 2011/12 to 89% in 2014/15.

Patient satisfaction with the process of making appointments has also fallen each year since 2011.

In 2014/15, almost a third (27%) of patients said it was not easy to get through to their GP practice on the phone, compared with 19% in 2011/12.

The percentage of patients who get to see their preferred GP always, almost always or most of the time, has also fallen, from 66% in 2011/12, to 60% in 2014/15.

A fifth of patients also said opening hours are not convenient, a slight increase since 2011.

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The report said that as of October 2014, only 18% of patients had access (within two kilometres) on every week night to a GP surgery that was open until 8pm.

The Government has pledged to increase access to GPs seven days a week, with extended opening in the evening and at weekends.

Earlier this month, analysis of the 2014 General Practice Patient Survey of almost a million patients found that most people have no interest in their GP surgery opening at weekends.

The research, from the University of East Anglia (UEA) and the University of Oxford, found 15% of patients said weekend opening would make it easier for them to see a doctor, while only 2% said they would be able to attend Sunday appointments.

An official review released by NHS England of seven-day services has also found "very low" demand for Sunday appointments.

Amyas Morse, head of the NAO, said of the new study: "Against the background of increasing demand and pressure on NHS resources, the challenge is how to maintain people's positive experience of accessing general practice and reduce variation.

"The Department of Health and NHS England are working to improve access, but are making decisions without fully understanding either the demand for services or the capacity of the current system.

"Better data is needed so that decisions about how to use limited resources to best effect are well-informed."

Katherine Murphy, chief executive of the Patients Association, said: "Patients do not have good enough access to primary healthcare. The report highlights how for many younger patients, GP opening times are inconvenient.

"We need an NHS that understands that people have jobs and families to take care of. Much more must be done to ensure that they have access to GPs, particularly in the evenings and at the weekend."

An NHS England spokesman said: "Real terms spending on general practice has increased every year since NHS England was established, following two years of decline, and the vast majority of patients have reported a positive experience when accessing general practice.

"This year we are investing an extra £126 million to improve access to general practice as well as working closely with our partners to expand the primary care workforce and further benefit patients."

A Department of Health spokesman said: "This report shows patients want better access to their GP, and that's exactly why we're providing everyone with evening and weekend appointments by 2020.

"To do that we are making available an estimated 5,000 more doctors in general practice so we have the skills we need to provide that seven day service."

7 Myths About The NHS

People Die If They're Admitted At The Weekend(01 of07)

Raw statistics suggest this myth is true. Deaths in the NHS rise amongst those admitted at the weekend.

Researchers monitored patterns across the NHS in England over one year. But the relative figures means that there are only about two extra deaths for every 1,000 people admitted on a weekend compared to a week day.

And now senior doctors have said the "spin" of the stats have put vulnerable people off seeking treatment -- even those about to give birth -- and who would benefit from immediate medical care.

And herein lies a possible explanation: those admitted on the weekend may have problems so serious that waiting until a weekday is not possible -- and were therefore more likely to pass away in the first place. (credit:Christopher Furlong via Getty Images)

There Are Too Many Managers(02 of07)

The number of managers that aren't frontline medical staff is often thought to be "too high". These staff often command high salaries, and so make easy pickings for the press to highlight NHS excess.

But in fact, the NHS Confederation says that fewer than 3% of NHS staff are managers, whereas the equivalent figure in the private sector is 10%.

And some have argued that managers are crucial to ensuring medical staff continue to treat patients rather than complete paperwork. (credit:Nikki Bidgood via Getty Images)

There's Been No Privatisation(03 of07)

The idea that there has been no privatisation of the NHS is patently false, says the Nuffield Trust.

Its analysis has shown that at the beginning of the 2010-15 parliament lots of NHS work in community health care, including physiotherapy and other practices, were taken over by private providers.

Nuffield Trust believes that the amount of money going to for-profit companies in community healthcare rose by 76% in just two years - to around £770m. (credit:sturti via Getty Images)

There's Been Massive Privatisation(04 of07)

But while it's true that there has been privatisation under David Cameron's premiership it's not quite true to say there's been massive amounts of NHS work "given" to the private sector.

Nuffield Trust found that spending on non-NHS providers rose by £500m between 2012/13 and 2013/14. It says that spending on private providers rose in proportion with general spending increases.

Overall, only 6.1 per cent of health service spending (PDF) in 2013/14 went to private companies aiming to make a profit. So that's 94.1% still in NHS hands. (credit:Fuse via Getty Images)

The Public Really Cares About NHS Privatisation(05 of07)

ComRes, the survey company, found that two-thirds of those polled do not care who provides NHS care - as long as it works.

The public is almost entirely supportive of an NHS free at the point of use, but think this could be delivered via any number of companies (PDF). (credit:Christopher Furlong via Getty Images)

Health Tourists Are Killing The NHS(06 of07)

Foreigners' abuse of NHS resources continues to make headlines. But the truth is rather less sensational.

Firstly, "health tourists" is an ambiguous term. For most purposes, it is used to identify those who travel to the UK with express purpose to exploit free NHS treatment -- and those who are regular visitors availing themselves of medical care.

Reports based on statistics around misuse of the NHS often claim to be "unable to estimate" the numbers abusing the system - therefore approximate costs are just that. Approximate.

A widely-reported figure of £2bn costs of health tourists has not stood up to scrutiny either. The true figure is not known, but is unlikely to be anywhere near that amount: £70m to £300m. (credit:sturti via Getty Images)

The NHS Is Really, Really Bad In Wales(07 of07)

Stories of the disparity in NHS care between England and Wales have highlighted the fractious nature of the health system across UK borders.

Last year, results of the service's 62-day target for the referral of patients to a specialist doctor found 88% of patients in Wales were referred in time -- though just 83.6% did so in England.

But it is true to say that NHS Wales has had problems specific to the country. Results of its 4-hour-wait targets show that patients are more likely to be kept waiting longer than in England. (credit:mtreasure via Getty Images)

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