More than 12,000 people in Wakefield faced 28-day wait to see GP, figures show

The city’s MP called on the government to take action to reduce waiting times as he highlighted the data in parliament.

NHS England figures for April show that 12,586 people in Wakefield waited over 28 days for a GP appointment.

Across England, more than 1.25 million people waited over 28 days during the same period.

The government has announced an “access recovery plan” which involves using pharmacies to take pressure off GPs.

Simon Lightwood, Labour MP for Wakefield, asked health minister Neil O’Brien about the government’s plans to reduce waiting times.

Mr Lightwood said: “In Wakefield, I’m pleased that our campaign to save our city centre walk-in service has been successful.

“But every day, people are still struggling to get a GP appointment, with the latest NHS statistics showing that in April 12,586 people waited over 28 days.

“Quite simply, there aren’t enough fully qualified GPs.

“Labour’s got a workforce plan that is ambitious and costed

“Where is the Government’s delayed and fully-funded workforce plan?”

Mr O’Brien said there are now almost 2,000 more doctors in primary care than in 2019.

He added: “The opposition might not want to hear it but the truth is we have increased funding for general practice by a fifth in real terms.

“We have got more doctors, we have got more other clinicians. GPs are doing 10 per cent more appointments every month.

“We only want to continue to build on this which is why we have the primary care recovery plan, that’s why we’ve invested a further £645m in enabling people to get treatment in their pharmacies, freeing up ten million more GP appointments.

“We know we will go further but we are making progress.”

Professor Kamila Hawthorne, chair of the Royal College of GPs, has described the access recovery plan as “not the silver bullet that we desperately need”, saying thousands more GPs are needed to tackle the crisis.

Mr Lightwood commented: “The access recovery plan is all talk and is simply another sticking plaster policy from this government.”

“Labour has a properly costed long-term plan to boost recruitment and create the capacity in the NHS that the country desperately needs”.