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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Politics
Andrew Gregory Health editor

38m patients wait over 14 days to see GP in England despite government pledge

doctor checking a patient's blood pressure
Between October 2022 and May this year, 5 million patients waited more than a fortnight for a GP appointment every month, data shows. Photograph: Anthony Devlin/PA

More than 38 million patients in England have waited longer than a fortnight for a GP appointment since the government promised everyone would be able to get one within 14 days.

In September last year, the government said patients would be able to see a family doctor within two weeks of booking a consultation. Thérèse Coffey, the then health secretary, promised to prioritise the issue with a “laser-like focus”.

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