Britain’s top GP is urging the next government to end the ‘untenable and totally unacceptable’ long waiting times that patients are facing for GP appointments. Professor Kamila Hawthorne, Chair of the Royal College of GPs, is concerned that with the General Election only weeks away, political parties will include ‘vote winning’ access targets in their manifestos, without any commitment or plans for boosting the GP numbers that are necessary to deliver them. Her call comes as latest figures highlight the unsustainable pressure on general practice, with buckling GP practices delivering more and more appointments, yet with fewer doctors. GPs and their teams delivered 30.3 million appointments in April 2024 – nearly 6 million (25%) more than April 2019 – with … Continue reading Next government must end ‘totally unacceptable’ waiting times for GP appointments, says RCGP