General practitioners are facing a major crisis as over 10 million patients have had to wait a month or longer for appointments this year.

A recent report commissioned by Lord Darzi has shed light on a concerning issue within the NHS - the shortage of General Practitioners (GPs) in the UK. According to the latest figures, over 10 million people have been forced to wait for a month or longer in order to secure an appointment with their local GP this year alone. These statistics suggest that 2024 is well on its way to breaking records for the longest wait times to see a family doctor in England.

In the county of Gloucestershire, which has been identified as the worst-performing area in terms of wait times, a staggering 10.1% of appointments have involved waits of four weeks or more. Last week, Lord Darzi published a damning report on the state of the NHS, revealing that the UK has almost 16% fewer fully qualified GPs in comparison to other high-income countries, relative to its population.

In light of these concerning findings, the Liberal Democrats have called for the NHS to be given top priority status in the upcoming Budget by the Labour government. Sir Ed Davey, leader of the party, stressed the importance of addressing the GP crisis in order to save the NHS. He believes that by reducing wait times, fewer people will end up in hospitals, which benefits both the patients and the financial burden on taxpayers.

Sir Ed also emphasized the need for Brits to have the right to see their GP within seven days, or within 24 hours for urgent cases. The Darzi report specifically criticized the reforms introduced by former health secretary Andrew Lansley in 2012, which came into effect while the Liberal Democrats were part of the coalition government with the Conservatives. Health Secretary Wes Streeting has acknowledged the urgent need for dramatic reform within the NHS.

Lib Dem deputy leader and health spokesperson, Daisy Cooper, expressed her belief that the Lansley reforms were a mistake and that her party had fought hard to protect the day-to-day spending on health and education during their time in the coalition. At the ongoing Liberal Democrat conference in Brighton, health and social care policy has been a central topic of discussion and speeches by party leaders.

Despite the government's commitment to hiring an additional 1,000 GPs by the end of this year and providing extra funding towards GP contracts, the Department of Health and Social Care has acknowledged that the NHS is in dire need of repair. They have emphasized the need to shift the focus of healthcare from hospitals to the community in order to address this issue. As the conference continues, Cooper and Davey are expected to address the issue of the NHS in their upcoming speeches.

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