A study of Lincolnshire GP surgeries has revealed that there are currently major strains on services right across the county.
One South Lincolnshire surgery said in the National GP Survey: “We have a three-plus week wait for a routine GP appointment. Demand has outstripped our capacity.
“All urgent appointments are dealt with on the day, but the standard GP wait time is not acceptable to patients.”
The report said a major problem with NHS provision in Lincolnshire is down to workforce – and the problem is set to get worse.
“Recruitment of medical staff into Lincolnshire has been an ongoing problem for many years,” the report states.
And numbers of new-starters are falling.
“The number of current medical staff due to retire in the next few years is significant.
“It is unlikely that, in the foreseeable future, recruitment into the county will exceed the numbers retiring.
“In addition, some areas of the county, such as the east, are much harder to recruit into, with other factors/barriers such as the local infrastructure (housing, road networks, schools, leisure facilities and employment) playing their part.”
As well as GPs retiring, people of retirement age are also a major strain on services.
The report states: “Due to advancements in healthcare, thankfully we are all living longer. Unfortunately, this also leads to an increase in demand for local GP services.”
The report suggests one way people can help with the strain is by keeping appointments.
According to the report, on December 17, 2017, the equivalent of three years’ time was lost in missed appointments.
Long delays in waiting to see a doctor has also been attributed to health problems.
The report states that almost a quarter of people who can’t see a GP in a time they consider acceptable reported they suffer anxiety about their condition and mental health issues.
“Increased anxiety lengthened suffering,” one respondent said.
Frustration is also commonplace among those patients trying to access surgery receptions over the telephone, the report states.
Flexibility is needed, however. Patients reportedly prefer to see a specific doctor, for reasons including gender, personality and specialism.
The report said: “One of the biggest issues we hear is when a GP asks to see the patient again in two to three weeks.
Many patients tell us this is almost impossible.”
The findings of the survey, released by Lincolnshire Healthwatch, will be reviewed this month by relevant local bodies.
