Alison Bennett concerned for Mid Sussex residents as GP waits of over two weeks reach record high in England

New research has revealed that, since January, 293,956 appointments in West Sussex have had waits of over 28 days, up from 114,459 at the same point five years ago, an increase of 157%.

Local waits of over two weeks have increased from 381,153 in 2020 to 877,555 this year, an increase of 130%.

Alison Bennett, the Liberal Democrat MP for Mid Sussex, has called for an emergency package to end this unacceptable crisis. This includes a call for the government to deliver a new right to a GP appointment within seven days, or 24 hours if urgent, by recruiting thousands of extra doctors.

Reflecting on this data, Alison explained: “Undeniably, the Conservatives completely failed our NHS, but this government also seems to not be providing any real answers to this ever-growing crisis. This is why we are calling for action now.”

Alison and her Lib Dem colleagues want to see local initiatives to ensure places like Mid Sussex do not become 'GP deserts', and the introduction of a 24/7 GP booking system to end the '8am scramble'. This would involve 111 call handlers training to become GP receptionists.

Research from the House of Commons Library research found that, since Labour have been in power, patients nationally have seen the highest number of two week and four week waits to see a GP since 2020. This follows previous record numbers of two and four week waits under the last Conservative government.

The data also found that across England, there has been a 50% increase in patients waiting over 14 days for a GP appointment since the same period in 2020, rising from 19.7 million appointments to 43 million appointments. There has been a 67% increase for those waiting over 28 days, from 5.8 million five years ago to 12.9 million today.

Mid Sussex residents have shared their own experiences with Alison Bennett, who said: “I often hear from constituents who are frustrated about the current system. One resident contacted me in the summer after being told by her GP surgery that the next appointment available for them to see their doctor was 27 days after they originally called up.”

She continued: “Another constituent raised concerns about their local surgery no longer accepting appointment requests by phone, which is causing complications for people who do not have access to the internet or are unable to navigate NHS apps. It should not be so difficult to book an appointment, and people in West Sussex should not have to wait so long to see their doctor."

“The government must introduce a right for every patient to be seen within seven days or 24 hours if urgent, so that no one is denied care when they need it."