Are Rotherham GP practices better or worse when it comes to face-to-face appointments?

Around a third of GP practices in England are doing more remote appointments than face-to-face, so the majority of local doctors are ahead of the curve.

Before the pandemic, eight in ten appointments were assessed in person, nationally.

In some of the worst-performing English practices, just 12 per cent of October appointments were face-to-face.

NHS South Yorkshire Integrated Care Board (ICB) say that their latest figures for the entirety of Rotherham in the month of August suggested a quarter of appointments were remotely held.

Some people believe limited access to family doctors is fuelling a growing Accident and Emergency crisis, with the spectre of occupied ambulances parked outside hospitals.

The NHS does not stipulate targets for what individual surgeries should do in terms of actually meeting patients, but the national situation is well down on pre-Covid levels.

The Government wants every single patient to be able to get an appointment within a fortnight – but that seems too big an ask both in Rotherham and across the nation.

On the ground, some primary care officials say the NHS data does not provide full context at a time when practices have been snowed under with flu and Covid vaccination programmes.

Appointment statistics are not a comprehensive measure of practice quality or patient care, they say.  

Unions have claimed the data is a way to “name and shame” practices when staff morale is already low.  

Some appointments do not need to be with a GP, with other highly-trained staff able to diagnose conditions and prescribe medication.

The South Yorkshire ICB, which oversees health care for 1.4m people, said: “Since the pandemic there has been a misperception that practices are not seeing many patients which people find frustrating, but practices have always kept their doors open as a service; they have just been operating in a different way with a greater emphasis on remote assessments.

“More face-to-face appointments are now available, but many practices have kept video and telephone consultations as they now have the technology to do this.  

“If you are assessed as needing a face-to-face appointment or if you request one you will still have one although you may have to wait a bit longer in some cases.

“Urgent appointments are always available, and people will be seen urgently if needed. Reception teams in GP practices are trained care navigators who will ask patients questions to ensure they get to see the most appropriate health care professional, in the timeliest manner.”