Basically, the government has misled the public about how easy it is to get an appointment with a GP.
A YouGov poll for The Daily Telegraph suggests that almost half of patients cannot get an appointment to see a family doctor within two days, despite the fact that this is supposed to be a key Government achievement.The survey of nearly 2,500 adults also indicates that there is little public support for Tony Blair's idea that patients should be given a choice of hospital.
The waiting time results are particularly embarrassing because Lord Warner, a health minister, issued a news release in May saying that "almost everyone in England can now see a GP within 48 hours". He put the figure at 99.98 per cent.
YouGov found that only 44 per cent of respondents said they were able to see a GP within that target.
Full story is here.
Posted by James Bartholomew • Indexed in NHS
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There is a lot of confusion and uncertainty regarding where to turn when out of hours GP services are needed. A recent report indicates that complaints relating to out of hours care have soared.
So where does someone turn if they need to speak with a medical professional outside of normal working hours? If you telephone your GPs surgery you will hear a message that provides you with a telephone number for NHS-direct. But what if your condition requires examination?
Another recent report indicates that people are turning to their local ambulance service. It has been suggested that one of the reasons behind the increase in callouts has been the changes in doctors' out-of-hours cover.
So where do you turn if your medical condition is not an emergency but you really need some attention outside of GPs working hours? One option is to make use of a private GP service.
But this is really only an option if you have private health care insurance or deep pockets and you live within reach of a suitable service.
It's no wonder that people are confused and end up calling their local ambulance service.
Posted by: Tony at August 9, 2007 12:29 PM
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Seeing a doctor in under 48 hours is easy!
goto http://www.doctortoday.co.uk/
Oh you mean a coercion funded GP who works for the states Beurocrat rationed treatment scheme!
Posted by: Rob Read at August 22, 2005 10:41 PM