Valerie backs 48 hour GP appointment guarantee

Valerie has backed the Opposition Labour Party guarantee that every patient will be able to see a GP within 48 hours.

Valerie said:

“I am pleased that there is a guarantee that patients will be able to see a GP within 48 hours or on the same day if they need to be seen quickly. Difficulty in arranging GP appointments has reached crisis point under this Government. The proportion of patients getting a GP appointment in 48 hours has fallen from 80 percent under the last Labour government to just 40 percent under this Government.”

“This has serious implications for patients who have to wait longer for a diagnosis and for treatment. It also has serious implications for other areas of the NHS such as A&E departments as patients will go there if they are unable to make an appointment with their GP.”

“ GP surgeries across the country will be given an extra £100 million a year to achieve this massive improvement in standards – enough to pay for an additional three million GP appointments every year. It will also ease the pressure across the NHS and could save millions of pounds by reducing the number of patients going to A&E departments.”