Waiting times targets missed, says poll
Most patients still have problems seeing a family doctor within 48 hours, despite government claims that this target is being met.
A YouGov poll for The Daily Telegraph showed only 44 per cent of the people questioned got to see their doctor within the two day limit.
The survey follows last month’s report by the Healthcare Commission, which also challenged government assertions that the 48-hour target was being met.
That survey cast doubts on assertions by health minister Lord Warner in May that 99.98 per cent of people were able to see their doctor within 48 hours.
Shadow health secretary Andrew Lansley criticised the government, saying the official statistics failed to take into account patients who might have rung their surgery and given up because they failed to get an appointment.
“Ministers are living in a fantasy world of their own statistics. The reality is that people cannot get appointments with their GPs when they want to,” he said.
There was also little enthusiasm for patient choice, a key government policy. When people were asked to prioritise services they wanted, only five per cent of patients said a choice of hospitals was the most important thing. And 41 per cent said their top priority was to be able to see their GP every time.
But the poll also revealed patients were satisfied with GPs’ services when the eventually got to see their doctor. A total of 76 per cent of those asked said they were satisfied or fairly satisfied with the services.
According to the British Medical Association (BMA), 10,000 more GPs are needed to reduce the pressure on appointments. But the government has said it has met its target of providing 2,000 extra family doctors, though this does not take into account the number of doctors who work part-time.
