Many of the country’s GP surgeries are facing an overcrowding problem as they struggle to cope with the surge of new patients caused by migration, according to figures released by GP Magazine.
The problem is so bad in some areas of UK, as many as 500 patients have signed up to practices in as little as 18 months with the result being some people are having to wait up to four weeks for an appointment. Doctors and healthcare professionals are also finding it difficult to deal with the increased paperwork meaning patients are facing delays in important blood test and scan results.
Among the worst affected are surgeries in Tower Hamlets in London which has experienced an average increase of 463 patients per practice since April 2013, and practices in Bedford and Milton Keynes have seen patient levels grow by 438 and 250 per practice respectively. In total 522,526 patients across the UK registered with GP surgeries up to the end of October 2014.
Surgeries also told GP Magazine the issue is being made worse because they’re finding it hard to recruit new doctors as becoming a family GP is becoming less popular. Some doctors questioned told the magazine they often take three weeks to clear their in-tray, calling it a “hopeless task” and stating “it is not a safe way of working.”
The findings coincide with an assessment carried out recently by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) released last week which found up to one in six GP surgeries in England are not giving patients an adequate level of care.
Concerns cited in the report were patients facing difficulties in getting appointments, not enough practice nurses and some surgeries prescribing out of date medicines. As a result, tougher OFSTED-style inspections will be carried out on the 1,200 surgeries deemed unsatisfactory. The inspections will consist of regular in-depth, day-long checks and can result in the worst-performing surgeries being closed down. Patients can access the CQC website and find their local surgery’s ratings as well as those near to them simply by inputting their postcode or the surgery name into www.cqc.org.uk/content/our-intelligent-monitoring-gp-practices.
There are strict rules surrounding doctors’ surgeries taking on new patients as NHS rules state surgeries have to register all patients who move into their catchment area. The only exceptions are where they can ask for a temporary list closure if they are under “extreme pressure” which is not a popular move due to the amount of paperwork involved. For 2013/2014, 78 practices applied for this measure and 55 were granted permission.
Patient Concern – an organisation committed to promoting choice and empowerment for all health service users – has stated the situation is “very worrying” and is “getting very serious.” GPs also admit they are facing a “real struggle” as “demand exceeds capacity and everybody suffers.”
If you have suffered negligence as a result of a medical professional, and would like some help and advice, please visit our dedicated website www.medicalnegligence-solicitors.com. Alternatively you can call us on 0800 028 2060 or request a call back at a time convenient for you here.