GPs now delivering a fifth more appointments than pre-pandemic

GP teams delivered more than 28.7 million appointments in June 2024 – up one fifth on the same period pre-pandemic, new figures published today show.

Excluding vaccinations, this means practices are delivering a fifth more appointments than in June 2019, when 22.8 million appointments took place.

NHS services have provided 372.3 million appointments, which is up 65 million compared to pre-pandemic levels or an increase of 70.6 million including the additional covid-19 vaccinations now taking place in general practice.

The figures also show around 7 in 10 appointments take place within seven days of booking, with the vast majority taking place face to face.

The rates of patients not attending appointments were down 0.3% compared with May, however more than 1.2 million appointments were not attended.

Dr Amanda Doyle, National Director for Primary Care at NHS England, said: “Thanks to GPs and their hardworking teams, millions more appointments are being delivered every month compared to before the pandemic with plans in place to improve access even further.

“Every GP practice is upgrading their telephone systems to make it easier for patients to contact their surgery, while patients can use the NHS app to order repeat prescriptions and view their test results without needing to contact their family doctor.

“We know there is more to do to make it easier for patients to access GP services and we look forward to working with the government to tackle the issues that matter most to patients, which includes expanding and improving primary care services.”

Minister of State for Care, Stephen Kinnock said: “It is our goal to ensure that everyone is able to access their GP in the way they choose – whether face-to-face or online – as part of our plan to make the NHS fit for the future.

“We will fix the front door of the NHS and bring back the family doctor, so patients with ongoing and complex conditions can be treated more effectively.

“Alongside this, we will also make the future of general practice sustainable by ensuring we train thousands more GPs, and shift the focus of care out of hospitals and into the community.”