September 15th 2024.
The NHS has been under scrutiny lately, with the recent Darzi report pointing out the shortage of GPs in the UK. It seems that people trying to schedule an appointment with their family doctor have been facing long wait times, with over 10 million instances of waiting for a month or more this year alone. In fact, it looks like 2024 is going to set a new record for the longest wait times in England.
One particular area that seems to be struggling the most with this issue is Gloucestershire, where 10.1% of appointments involve a wait of four weeks or longer. This is concerning, especially in light of last week's harsh report on the state of the NHS by Lord Darzi. Surprisingly, there are almost 16% fewer fully qualified GPs in the UK compared to other high-income countries, when taking into account the population.
The Liberal Democrats have taken notice of these alarming statistics and are calling for the NHS to be given top priority status in the upcoming Budget at the end of next month. Party leader Sir Ed Davey emphasized the importance of addressing the GP crisis, stating that quicker access to primary care can prevent people from needing to go to the hospital. This would not only benefit individuals, but also the NHS and taxpayers.
Davey also proposed a plan for patients to have the right to see their GP within seven days, or within 24 hours for urgent matters. The Darzi report specifically highlighted the failures of former health secretary Andrew Lansley's reforms in 2012, which were implemented during the coalition government between the Conservatives and the Lib Dems. Health Secretary Wes Streeting has acknowledged the need for significant changes in the NHS.
Lib Dem deputy leader and health spokesperson Daisy Cooper expressed her belief that the Lansley reforms were a mistake. She explained that during the coalition period, the Lib Dems fought hard to protect the funding for health and education on a real-terms basis. However, it seems that those efforts were not enough to prevent the current state of general practice in the NHS.
A spokesperson for the Department of Health and Social Care recognized the gravity of the situation, stating that the NHS is broken and general practice has been neglected. However, the government is determined to fix this by shifting the focus of healthcare from hospitals to the community. They have committed to hiring an additional 1,000 GPs into the NHS by the end of this year and have allocated an extra £311 million towards GP contract funding for the upcoming year.
The Liberal Democrat conference, currently taking place in Brighton, has put health and social care policy at the forefront of discussions and speeches. This is the first conference since the party's impressive performance in the General Election, increasing their number of MPs from 15 to 72. Cooper and Davey are both scheduled to deliver speeches, with the NHS expected to be a major topic in both. It is clear that the current state of the NHS is a pressing issue that needs to be addressed, and the Liberal Democrats are determined to make it a priority.
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