GP appointments have been branded "chaotic" as an increase in demand sees people "struggling" to see their doctor.
Every day, people across the UK are complaining about the struggle to get an appointment with their GP service, with reports of under pressure paramedics and overflowing accident and emergency departments as a result.
Earlier this month, the ECHO reported on how people across the city are "devastated" about how long they are given at a GP appointment as it is found around a quarter in Merseyside last no longer than five minutes. With a backlog looming from the pandemic people told the ECHO they are starting to feel brushed off as GPs struggle to meet the demand of the public.
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One mum has been struggling to get her child a GP appointment via the phone, having been on hold for over half an hour before she said the line was "cut off". She then decided to attend her GP surgery in person on 8am on Tuesday, adamant to get an appointment for that day.
But by 8.05am, she told the ECHO there were "no longer any appointments for that day". The mum-of-one, who did not wish to be named, added: "It's ridiculous. It's utter carnage.
"You can't get an appointment when you call up, you can't get an appointment when you go there in person, people are arguing, it's just not a nice place to be."
Earlier this year, the ECHO reported on the heart-breaking reality that GPs are facing every day with staff stressed and burnt out as they struggle to keep pace with rising numbers of patients with increasingly complex complaints. Working amid a GP shortage, Dr Omon Imohi found the job "really draining" some days, as she is often worried about taking time to go to the toilet.
But families across the region are still complaining that "not enough is being done" to solve the issue. A spokesperson for NHS Cheshire and Merseyside said health services always come under more pressure during the winter, but work is being done to meet that demand.
The Whiston mum added: "People are queuing up from early hours to get an appointment for 8am and still aren't getting one.
"In the time we were there this morning, there was a woman sobbing because she'd been trying for ages and failed and another man saying he wasn't leaving until he got one. He didn't get one.
"People are terrified because their loved ones are ill and aren't getting the help they need. We pay into this service, it needs more help. People are getting angry at staff and it's not their fault, but at the end of the day, the system isn't working.
"How many people are going to be really ill, even dying, and need that appointment? It's just chaos, absolute chaos, but where does it end?"
A spokesperson for NHS Cheshire and Merseyside said: "Health and care services always come under even greater pressure during the winter months. GP practice teams are working hard to meet the needs of patients and are delivering more appointments now than before the pandemic, with access to GP services an ongoing priority.
"Extended hours GP appointments are also now available at evenings and weekends across Cheshire and Merseyside - accessible via your GP practice.
"Although NHS services continue to be extremely busy, help is still available when you need it, and for more urgent problems we would strongly urge people to contact NHS 111 – online or via phone – so that you can be directed to the right care and be seen as quickly as possible."
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