Target for GPs to see patients within two weeks is 'expectation, not a pledge', health minister admits

22 September 2022, 19:24

A bid to get patients seen by their GP within two weeks is an "expectation, not a pledge", a health minister has told LBC.

Robert Jenrick's remarks come after health secretary Therese Coffey said anyone needing an urgent appointment should be able to see a doctor on the same day, while others would get one inside a fortnight.

That follows huge delays in patient care brought about by postponed treatments during the Covid pandemic.

But Mr Jenrick insisted it will not be a requirement.

"We're not entirely mandating GPs to do this, but we are saying that the public patients, which is our priority as ministers, they should be able to expect this," he told Tonight with Andrew Marr.

"And it would be surprising if they couldn't.

"So we're asking GPs and surgeries across the country, which are not currently achieving this, and the majority actually are, but there's a significant minority which isn't, to work with us and their local NHS to try to improve their services.

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Health Minister on 2 week wait for GP appointment

"And we're giving them a range of tools to try to help them to do that."

The Government plans call for the introduction of new telephone systems to avoid early morning scrambles at surgeries, publishing data so patients can assess how their GP practice is performing compared to other local surgeries and freeing up funding for practices to employ more staff.

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Mr Jenrick said while many areas of the NHS work well, some perform poorly.

"We're saying let's raise up those weaker GP surgeries, and indeed you see the same story in ambulances and NHS trusts, and give them tools," he went on.

"I think you can make progress quite quickly because some of the things we are offering will be available very quickly this autumn.

"So I hope this expectation will be met this autumn and winter."

His remarks follow a tense exchange between LBC's Nick Ferrari and Dr Coffey earlier on Thursday.

He asked: "What happens to a doctor who just fails to meet your requests?"

When Dr Coffey did not answer, Nick said: "Clearly nothing. There's no sanction, is there?"

She suggested that a failure to meet targets may result in patients choosing to go to a different GP.