Press Story

IPPR analysis of the GP patient survey reveals that patients are finding it harder to get appointments and turning to A&E for basic care needs. The survey, conducted over the first four months each year, asked patients about their experience over the previous 12 months.

In 2021, 10 per cent of patients who said they had tried to get an appointment didn’t get one, either because one was not offered or they were unable to take the offered slot. In 2023, this figure had risen to 16 per cent.
In response to this, many of these patients are turning to A&E to receive care. In 2021, 7.6 per cent of those who couldn’t get appointments said they went to A&E because they couldn’t see a GP - the equivalent of 282,000 people. In 2023 that figure was 12.2 per cent, the equivalent of 696,000, a rise of 146 per cent.

Responding to the latest stats on access to primary care and A&E usage, Dr Jamie O’Halloran, a senior research fellow on IPPR’s Commission on Health and Prosperity said:  

“The UK is getting sicker, poorer and more unequal. Primary care plays a vital role in healthcare provision and, at its best, is central to any aspiration to improve health and narrow inequalities. Yet, this new data shows that patients are finding it difficult to get GP appointments and are increasingly turning to already overstretched A&E departments to get care, particularly patients living in the most deprived parts of England.

“This will have significant health consequences, and in turn a hidden financial cost. The onset of sickness undermines both earned income and employment prospects. It is imperative that we get this right and we urge ministers to focus on patients access to care - not only to support health, but to help tackle major economic challenges around economic participation and productivity.”