Portsmouth South MP Stephen Morgan has backed a plan to train 15,000 doctors a year, so patients can get appointments when they need them.
The City MP said “there isn’t a day goes by” when constituents don’t tell him about how difficult it is to get a GP appointment at the moment.
Freedom of Information responses from NHS bodies reveal that 2.8 million patients have seen their practice close down or merge in the past five years, forcing patients to find a new GP. People in rural areas are often left having to register with practices miles away from where they live.
There are 1,200 fewer GP practices today than in 2015, while more than 2,000 GPs have been cut in the same time. As a result, the number of patients per practice has gone up from 7,465 in 2015 to 9,722 in February, with each remaining practice having to take on an extra 2,257 patients on average. Each GP is having to look after an extra 348 patients today compared with 2015.
Almost one in four patients say they couldn’t get an appointment with a GP last time they tried to book one.
In February it was revealed that every GP in Portsmouth has roughly 1,774 patients on their books.
Labour is promising to train 15,000 doctors a year, so patients can get appointments when they need them. The party will double medical school places, paid for by abolishing the non-dom tax status, which allows wealthy people living and working in Britain to pay their taxes overseas.
Patients having to change GPs means they are less likely to see a doctor who knows their medical history, while stretched GPs are able to see fewer patients face-to-face today. Two in three patients rarely see the doctor of their choice, up from half in 2018, while 3 in 10 appointments are not face-to-face.
Labour is pledging to bring back the family doctor and guarantee face-to-face appointments to all who want them, so patients can book appointments to see the doctor of their choice, in the manner they want.
Stephen Morgan, Member of Parliament for Portsmouth South, said:
“There isn’t a day goes by when I don’t hear from local residents who tells me about how difficult it is to get a GP appointment at the moment.
“The NHS has proposed that the Government adopt Labour’s plan to double medical school places, but the government is refusing.
“Portsmouth people should be able to see the doctor they want, in the manner they choose, when they need to. Labour will put patients first and get them seen on time again.”
Wes Streeting, Shadow Health Secretary, said:
“Patients are finding it impossible to get a GP appointment when they need one, thanks to the Conservatives failure to train enough doctors.
“Practices are shutting up shop across the country, leaving people to travel miles to be seen, and GPs overburdened.
“Labour will train 15,000 doctors a year so patients can be seen on time again, paid for by abolishing the non-dom tax status. We will bring back the family doctor and ensure patients can easily book appointments to see the doctor they want, in the manner they choose.”
Mr Morgan has taken a range of actions to help improve access to Portsmouth’s NHS services, including raising concerns with regional health leaders about local GP practice closures, worked alongside campaigners calling for more GP practices to open in the city and holding ministers to account in Parliament on their failure to recruit the GPs and staff the NHS needs.
