Nearly 100,000 people faced delayed GP appointments

Fewer than one in two patients (41%) were able to see their GP on the same day as they asked for an appointment in February

Nearly 100,000 patients in Gloucestershire waited more than eight days to see their GP in February, NHS figures have shown.

By that criteria it was the worst performing authority area in England that month, according to NHS figures.

A spokesperson said demand for GP services continued to be "extremely high".

The government said it was investing in a catch-up programme to tackle appointment backlogs.

According to The Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) fewer than one in two people (41%) were able to see their GP on the same day as they had asked for an appointment in February.

'Better than average'

That was 9% worse than in January when 93,440 patients had to wait more than eight days for an appointment.

A spokesperson from the NHS Gloucestershire Clinical Commissioning Group, said GP practice teams in Gloucestershire were doing a fantastic job under challenging circumstances.

They said: "Whilst we recognise that some patients are waiting longer than we would all like to access an appointment, it's important to highlight that patient satisfaction rates (86%) are higher than the national average (82%)."

"Some of these waits may have been clinically appropriate, depending on the appointment.

"Surgeries have adapted the way consultations can be offered to keep patients safe and make sure those with the greatest need are seen first."

They said face-to-face consultations accounted for about 69% of appointments in Gloucestershire, which was better than the national average of 61%.

Paul Hodgkinson, the Liberal Democrat group health spokesperson, said that was not enough.

"Desperate people are turning up at A&E, piling pressure on the NHS at a time it can least afford it," he said.

GPs and all practice staff work incredibly hard, yet years of neglect under this government have driven them into the ground, forcing huge numbers to consider leaving the profession because of burnout."

Public health and communities cabinet member Tim Harman said: "The Conservatives are investing a record £36 billion into a catch-up programme to tackle NHS backlogs and reform adult social care."

The five areas with the highest proportion of people waiting eight days or more were Gloucestershire (31.5%), Dorset (31.2%), Sheffield (31.1%), East Riding of Yorkshire (31%) and Stafford (30.8%).