Britons turning into ‘DIY doctors’ as thousands fail to get a GP appointment

Britons are turning into “DIY doctors” as thousands of people fail to secure a face-to-face GP appointment, a poll has revealed.

Younger people are the most likely to try treating themselves with one in five (22 per cent) of those aged 18-34 doing so last year.

Of those who tried and failed to see their family doctor in the past 12 months, one in seven (14 per cent) carried out medical treatment on themselves or asked somebody who is not a medical professional to do so.

More than one in five (21 per cent) purchased medication online or at a pharmacy without advice from a GP while one in three (33 per cent) delayed seeing a GP despite suffering with pain.

One in seven (16 per cent) went to A&E seeking help while almost three in 10 (29 per cent) people stopped attempting to get an NHS GP appointment altogether.

Almost a quarter (23 per cent) of people have tried and failed to get a face-to-face GP appointment in their local area in the past 12 months. In Scotland, 17 per cent tried and failed, and 13 per cent in Wales, the poll commissioned by the Liberal Democrats revealed.

The party is calling for a new legal right for patients to see a GP within seven days, and have set out plans to recruit and retain 8,000 more GPs to deliver on it. The Lib Dems say the plan would be achieved through increasing training places for GPs, and launching a recruitment drive to encourage those who’ve left the NHS to return.

Latest figures reveal millions of patients are left waiting two weeks or more for an appointment with a GP. Official NHS data reveals that in October 2023, 7.4 million GP appointments took place two weeks or more after being booked, up 1.1 million compared with the same month last year. Two-week waits made up almost one in four (23 per cent) of all GP appointments in October, up from 19 per cent in the same month last year.

In October 2023, 2.6 million appointments took place more than four weeks after booking – 700,000 more than in October last year. This made up one in 13 of the total GP appointments in October, compared with one in 17 in the same month last year. Of all appointments in October 2023, 70.9 per cent were carried out face to face, down slightly from 71.3 in October last year.

Lib Dem leader Ed Davey said: “This is scandalous and must act as an urgent wake up call for ministers asleep on the job. People pay their fair share in tax and expect basic local health services, yet it is utterly depressing to see Brits turning to DIY medical treatment. The record of this Conservative government on the NHS is shameful.

“Face-to-face GP appointments have become almost extinct in some areas of the country. Patients are left suffering in pain after years of neglect under the Conservative Government, who have repeatedly broken their promise to recruit more GPs.

“Liberal Democrats would guarantee people a right to a GP appointment within one week so people can get the care they deserve. This would reduce pressure on our hospitals and paramedics, saving crucial time and money elsewhere in the NHS.”

A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: “We are making it easier for patients to see and contact their GP. There are now 44 more appointments on average per working day in every GP practice compared to October 2019 and the government has met its manifesto commitment to deliver 50 million more appointments a year.

“We are improving access to GP services by cutting bureaucracy, expanding community pharmacy, and funding new digital systems for practices under our Primary Care Recovery Plan. Our NHS Long Term Workforce Plan includes a plan to train hundreds of thousands more staff including GPs over the next 15 years.”