There were nearly 600,000 more appointments in general practice in November 2023 compared to the same month before the pandemic, as part of the NHS primary care access recovery plan.

New NHS data shows there were 3.7 million appointments (excluding vaccinations) delivered by GP practices in November 2023, making it the busiest November on record for GP teams, with over 1.6 million of these appointments taking place on the same day.

Every GP practice must offer face to face appointments as well as telephone and online consultations, with some patients choosing remote appointments where it is clinically appropriate. Today’s data showing in the region over 2.5 million GP appointments were delivered face-to-face in November.

Dr Paula Cowan, GP and Medical Director for Primary Care at NHS England – North West said:

“Colleagues in general practice are working harder than ever, carrying out record numbers of appointments and delivering timely access to healthcare for the populations they serve.

“This is incredible progress from teams across the north west and we are determined to make it easier to access services around people’s busy lives.”

The latest figures also reveal that there were over 209,000 missed appointments in the same month where patients who booked an appointment but did not attend, or ‘DNAs’. This represents an increase of more than 20,000 more wasted appointments than was the case in November 2019.

A recent study estimated that, in 2021/22, the average nine-minute GP face-to-face consultation costs £42. In financial terms, this means in November last year, patient no-shows cost the region’s NHS over £8.7 million.

Dr Cowan added “Demand for appointments in general practice has never been higher, with the NHS pressured across all of its services, if you get an appointment, but no longer need it, please let your surgery know so that appointment can be freed up for others who are ill.”

As winter pressure continues to build, patients should also consider a wide range of other NHS services as an alternative to visiting a GP surgery or emergency department. You can use NHS 111 online at 111.nhs.uk, via the NHS App or call 111, if you have an urgent medical problem and you are not sure what to do.

Pharmacists can also give treatment advice for a range of minor illnesses and can tell you if you still need to see a doctor. If you are in a life-threatening emergency, you should call 999 or go to A&E.