Care Quality Commission Report Highlights Overstretched Services and Increased Demand

Urgent adult referrals to mental health crisis teams in England more than doubled between 2023 and 2024, according to a healthcare watchdog, which found that people were becoming more unwell while waiting for help from overstretched services.

A growing crisis in general practitioner (GP) access is forcing patients to seek emergency care in record numbers, with one in four resorting to Accident & Emergency (A&E) departments due to delays in securing a GP appointment, new research reveals.

Less than half of all GP appointments in England are now conducted by a doctor, as patients are increasingly being seen by other healthcare professionals. Recent NHS data highlights that for the first time, the majority of consultations in general practice were carried out by nurses, pharmacists, and physician associates rather than GPs.

Difficulty securing a doctor’s appointment since the start of the decade has meant there is now no question that people are perfectly happy to see a GP virtually rather than endure an interminable wait to visit their local NHS practice.

Recent plans to reduce NHS waiting lists for elective care have sparked both hope and frustration. While these initiatives aim to provide thousands of additional appointments for pre-planned and non-urgent treatments, they glaringly exclude mental health patients from their scope. This omission highlights the persistent disparity between how physical and mental health are prioritized in the UK.

Accessing GP services in the UK continues to pose a significant challenge, with millions of patients facing delays or being unable to secure appointments. Recent data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) reveals the extent of the crisis, highlighting growing concerns about the state of primary healthcare.

Remote GP appointments, whether conducted online or by video, have grown steadily in popularity in recent years. In August, one in 20 GP appointments in England was conducted remotely, the highest proportion since such records began. This trend reflects the rising demand for convenient and accessible healthcare options that meet the needs of both patients and doctors.

The vision of “bringing back the family doctor” is increasingly unlikely, as fewer patients will see GPs in the coming decade. A report by Frontier Economics predicts that by 2034, only 70% of surgery appointments in England will be delivered by GPs, down from 90% in 2015. Instead, patients will more often see other healthcare professionals, such as nurses, physiotherapists, or pharmacists.

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The ongoing crisis in the NHS has affected service delivery across the primary and secondary care sectors. GP services have always been the most likely first point of contact with the NHS, but GP practices have been struggling to cope with demand and the appointment booking process has left patients feeling stressed and frustrated.