GP 'crisis'
Fact checks about GP waiting lists, appointments, staffing and pharmacists
Labour’s analysis on five million ‘denied’ GP appointments fact checked
This widely reported figure is an estimate, based on several assumptions that may not be right.
Read more…
Survey of GPs’ retirement plans is not reliable
The GPs who responded were the ones who knew about the survey and chose to participate—who are not necessarily representative of GPs as a whole.
Read more…
Two doctors with same name cause Times letter confusion
A social media post incorrectly claims that a letter written to The Times was from a doctor who died in 2016.
Read more…
Daily Mail report on GPs seeing fewer patients on Fridays needs more context
There are some important caveats to figures showing GP appointments drop off later in the week.
Read more…
We can’t say patients are waiting over two weeks to see a GP on average
Reports that the average wait to see GPs has passed the two-week mark aren’t based on reliable evidence.
Read more…
How many migrants have registered with GPs in the last decade?
6.5 million migrants have joined GP surgeries in the decade from 2007, but not all of them are here long-term and some were double counted.
Read more…
Could 18 million GP appointments be seen by pharmacists?
A survey of around 60 GPs found that 6% of appointments could have been dealt with at home or at a pharmacy, but we can’t say if it’s an accurate …
Read more…
Is the NHS recruiting enough new GPs?
The number of GPs is falling, but we can’t be certain by how much. The number in training is rising, although we don’t know if this will be enough for …
Read more…
Are patients going to A&E instead of GPs?
It was estimated in 2010 that between 10% and 30% of cases attending A&E were of a type that could be seen by a GP.
Read more…
The total number of missed GP appointments
Perhaps surprisingly, no-one routinely collects this information.
Read more…
Full Fact fights bad information
Bad information ruins lives. It promotes hate, damages people’s health, and hurts democracy. You deserve better.