Chesham and Amersham MP, Sarah Green, has voiced concern that thousands of patients in Buckinghamshire are being rushed through appointments with their GP, calling the situation ‘unsustainable’.
Records show that 25,932 local GP appointments in April clocked in at under five minutes, and Ms Green has expressed fears that many patients are not being seen for long enough to be properly assessed.
The newly released figures reveal that almost 20% of GP appointments in Buckinghamshire in April lasted for under five minutes, while 45% lasted for under ten minutes.
The Royal College of General Practice has previously called for the standard ten-minute GP consultation to be brought to an end, and for face-to-face appointments to be at least 15 minutes by 2030.
Previous research has also found that Britain has some of the shortest average GP appointments among similarly wealthy countries around the world.
Ms. Green said: "These figures expose GP services stretched to breaking point. The result is that even once people manage to get an appointment, they are rushed through because doctors are under pressure to fit in as many patients as possible.
"Doctors need to have time to properly assess their patients, especially those with conditions that are complex or getting worse whilst waiting for hospital treatment.
"Instead, doctors are overworked and patients in Buckinghamshire are not getting the time and attention they deserve. The situation is completely unsustainable both for GPs and their patients."
[PICTURE: MP Sarah Green]
The MPs comments come amid broader growing concerns about GP services in the UK, from the time it takes to get an appointment, to the increasing reliance on phone consultations.
Data shows that whilst demand is rising, particularly during the pandemic, the number of trained GPs is falling in the UK, from a high of almost 29,000 in 2016 to just 27,699 today.
Recent data from the Nuffield Trust shows that in Buckinghamshire there are 1,695 patients per GP.
[SOURCE: Nuffield Trust]
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