Between 400 000 and 600 000 more patients in Scotland find it ‘easy’ or ‘very easy’ to access a GP than they would if they lived in England or Wales

Dr Iain Kennedy, a GP from Inverness and the chair of the British Medical Association in Scotland, said urgent action was needed to reverse the crisis. Photograph: Murdo MacLeod/The Guardian

50% minus 39%, as a percentage of the population of Scotland is how many hundred thousand finding it easy to get a GP appointment in SNP Scotland? Not in my practice, if I have anything to do with it!

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By Professor John Robertson OBA, former Chair Faculty Research Ethics Committee, UWS

The Guardian today has:

Most NHS users in England affected by dysfunctional admin, report finds. About 64% of people had difficulties with health service last year relating to communication about care.1

The Scottish media have nothing on this and I can find nothing directly comparable. However, from the ONS on 30 May, 2024: The impact of winter pressures on different population groups in Great Britain: GP practice access has comparative figures on this key aspect of satisfaction with NHS admin – ease of access to a GP.2

Asked How easy or difficult was it to make contact with the GP practice (?), 50% of the 4 290 Scots sampled said it was ‘Easy’ or ‘Very easy’ compared to only 43% in England and 39% in Wales.

On just ‘Very easy’, the figures were 21% in Scotland compared with only 17% in England and 16% in Wales.

On ‘Difficult and ‘Very difficult’, the figures were 29% in Scotland but 34% in England and 36% in Wales.

Remember, these single digit percentage differences imply huge actual differences:

7% more in Scotland [of 5.44m] than in England find it easy or very easy to contact a GP, means 380 000 people!

11% more in Scotland [of 5.44m] than in Wales find it easy or very easy to contact a GP, means 598 000 people!

Sources:

  1. https://www.theguardian.com/society/2025/feb/17/most-nhs-users-in-england-affected-by-dysfunctional-admin-report-finds
  2. https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/wellbeing/datasets/theimpactofwinterpressuresondifferentpopulationgroupsingreatbritaingpaccess
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3 thoughts on “Between 400 000 and 600 000 more patients in Scotland find it ‘easy’ or ‘very easy’ to access a GP than they would if they lived in England or Wales”

  1. Easy to get a GP appointment ?

    I wonder how many more appointments would be available at Sandesh Gulhane’s or Iain Kennedy’s surgeries if they spent less time giving interviews to the media ?

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply
  2. Pingback: How BBC England exposes the threat to GP surgeries of Labour’s National Insurance hike but BBC Scotland hides it and tries to blame Scottish Government instead – Talking-up Scotland

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