Stephen Morgan has said Labour will end the 8am scramble for GP appointments and bring back the family doctor, as 5 million patients each month were denied a GP appointment last year.
The Conservatives have broken their pledge in the 2019 manifesto to train 6,000 more GPs and have in fact cut 1,600 GPs since 2015. Since the Government promised to deliver GP appointments within two weeks in September 2022, 97 million appointments have been delayed for longer than a fortnight, with an average of 5 million patients a month waiting longer. The party has now ditched the pledge from its manifesto.
Mr Morgan has fiercely fought to protect Portsmouth’s NHS Services and has made getting the NHS back on its feet one of his key priorities at this election.
New analysis of the GP patient survey finds that another 5 million patients every month tried and failed to get a GP appointment last year.
The Conservatives have given up on the NHS. Nothing will change if the Conservatives are given another five years, the chaos in the NHS will continue, and next month-long waits for GP appointments will become the norm for millions.
New analysis of NHS figures reveals that, if four-week waits for GP appointments continue to rise as they have since April 2022, 5.3 million patients will be waiting 4 weeks to see a GP every month by 2029, equivalent to one in every six patients.
Labour is today launching its plan to end the 8am scramble for GP appointments by:
- Training thousands more GPs
- Updating the NHS App so patients can easily book and rearrange appointments
- Cut the red tape that ties up GPs time so they can spend more time with patients
- Bring back the family doctor, so patients can see the same GP each appointment if they choose to
- Trial new Neighbourhood Health Centres, which will bring together family doctors, physiotherapists, mental health specialists, dentists, district nurses, care workers, and health visitors all under one roof.
Commenting, Labour candidate for Portsmouth South, Stephen Morgan said:
“Since I’ve been elected, I’ve done everything in my power to support our local NHS: helping to deliver a medical school, dental academy and emergency care centre in our city.
“But after 14 years of Tory government, the NHS is on its knees and the 8am scramble for GP appointments in a symbol of that.
“Getting the NHS back on its feet is one of my key priorities at this election, and it’s clear only Labour can deliver the change the NHS needs by ending the 8am scramble and allowing patients to easily book appointments to see the doctor they want, in the manner they choose.”
Wes Streeting, Shadow Health Secretary, said:
“The Health Secretary is too busy preparing her Conservative Party leadership campaign to stop the strikes in the NHS, or even to tell us what her plan is to get patients a GP appointment. Rishi Sunak doesn’t understand how bad things are in the NHS, nor does he have a plan for the NHS, because he doesn’t use the NHS. Rishi Sunak isn’t waiting a month for a GP appointment, so he doesn’t care that you are.
“The public will rightly conclude that nothing will change if the Conservatives get another five years, the chaos in the NHS will continue, and millions of patients will be left waiting a month just to see a GP.
“Labour will provide the investment and reform needed to get patients seen on time again and bring back the family doctor.
“In 2024, patients should not have to queue up at 8am on the phone to book an appointment, or worse still queue around the block. We will end the 8am scramble by allowing patients to easily book appointments to see the doctor they want, in the manner they choose. But that change will only happen if people vote for the NHS and vote Labour on 4th July.”
