Ailing NHS gets more complaints than EVER before amid never-ending battle to get GP and dentist appointment

Complaints to nan NHS astir GPs and dental attraction person deed a grounds precocious arsenic patients struggle to get appointments, charismatic figures reveal.

There were 125,584 grievances astir superior attraction - including GPs and dentists - successful 2022/23, much than double nan 52,703 lodged a decade ago.

Some 23,567 of nan 112,189 complaints astir family doctors centred connected waiting times for an appointment, not being capable to get one, aliases nan magnitude of consultations.

Other gripes included patients who were unhappy that their medic had refused to mention them for scans aliases to a consultant; had denied them a prescription; aliases misdiagnosed them.

There were 16,087 complaints astir dentists past twelvemonth - up a 3rd successful 5 years.

Again, patients were often unhappy astir nan difficulties they faced accessing a dentist aliases nan value of attraction they received erstwhile they were successful nan chair.

It follows reports of patients having to execute 'DIY dentistry', including pulling retired their ain teeth, arsenic they person been incapable to registry pinch an NHS dentist.

The NHS Digital figures, published today, travel arsenic abstracted caller information from nan aforesaid organisation shows that nan number of afloat qualified full-time-equivalent GPs has fallen by 254 successful a year.

The number of superior attraction complaints was up 4.6 per cent successful a twelvemonth and 1 successful 3 - 32 per cent - were afloat upheld.

However, nan number of complaints astir infirmary and organization wellness services fell by 1.5 per cent compared pinch 2021/22, pinch 27.6 per cent upheld.

The largest proportionality of caller infirmary and organization wellness complaints related to mediocre communications, accounting for 16.6 per cent.

Professor Kamila Hawthorne, chair of nan Royal College of GPs, said: 'It is sad and troubling to perceive that GPs person been receiving a higher number of complaints owed to trouble successful entree - our patients should beryllium capable to spot a GP erstwhile they request 1 and we stock their vexation erstwhile they struggle to get appointments.

'The unfortunate reality is that our difficult moving and committed GPs often extremity up nan “fall guys” for nan government’s nonaccomplishment to appropriately assets and finance superior care.'

Eddie Crouch, chair of nan British Dental Association, said: ‘It’s nary astonishment complaints are piling successful for NHS dentistry, but these entree problems were made successful Westminster, and that’s wherever nan responsibility lies.

‘Things will spell from bad to worse unless Ministers present betterment and investment.’

Daisy Cooper, Liberal Democrat’s wellness spokeswoman, said: 'Everyday, thousands of group crossed nan state are struggling to book an assignment pinch their GP aliases dentist.'

An NHS spokesperson said: 'Staff crossed nan NHS are moving difficult to header pinch accrued request pinch GPs delivering half a cardinal much appointments each week compared to pre-pandemic, while NHS dentists carried retired 32.5 cardinal courses of curen successful 2022/2023 — up almost a 4th since nan erstwhile year.

'In statement pinch our committedness to retrieve entree to superior care, nan NHS published a scheme earlier this year, which includes upgrading telephone systems to make it easier for group to interaction their wide believe while much than 31,000 further unit person joined GP teams since 2019 to present moreover much appointments.'

Dr David Wrigley, lawman chair of nan GP Committee astatine nan British Medical Association, said: 'GPs want to spot our patients arsenic quickly arsenic imaginable but, contempt our efforts, what we’re presently experiencing successful wide believe is nan fallout of much than a decade of neglect.

'It’s nary coincidence that complaints person accrued during this clip arsenic patients, understandably, go much and much disappointment pinch assignment availability.

'The Government has grounded to adequately money wide believe and consistently takes an attack that ignores nan rumor of retention.

'The NHS has mislaid nan balanced of 2,062 full-time afloat qualified GPs since 2015 and we now person acold excessively fewer GPs looking aft greater numbers of patients, each while nan diligent floor plan successful England is changing arsenic group unrecorded longer managing progressively analyzable conditions.'