GP 'crisis'

Fact checks about GP waiting lists, appointments, staffing and pharmacists

22 September 2023

The government does not pay private health companies twice as much as GPs

Claims government spending on private healthcare companies is double GP services aren’t quite right, as non-NHS healthcare spend figures also include money for charities and local councils.

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The government does not pay private health companies twice as much as GPs
5 September 2023

Wes Streeting column claiming 5,000 drop in GPs over last decade amended

Mr Streeting wrote that there were almost 5,000 fewer fully qualified GPs than a decade ago, but NHS England says the data pre-September 2015 is not comparable to current figures.

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Wes Streeting column claiming 5,000 drop in GPs over last decade amended
30 March 2023

Are GP numbers rising or falling?

Earlier this month the PM claimed there are now a “record number” of GPs, while the Liberal Democrats say the number’s down since the last election.

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Are GP numbers rising or falling?
14 December 2022

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.

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Labour’s analysis on five million ‘denied’ GP appointments fact checked
9 June 2022

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.

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Survey of GPs’ retirement plans is not reliable
20 October 2021

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.

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Two doctors with same name cause Times letter confusion
13 October 2021

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.

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Daily Mail report on GPs seeing fewer patients on Fridays needs more context
13 August 2019

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.

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We can’t say patients are waiting over two weeks to see a GP on average
4 February 2019

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.

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How many migrants have registered with GPs in the last decade?
19 February 2018

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 …

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Could 18 million GP appointments be seen by pharmacists?

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