Thousands of people in Swindon are faced with waiting over a month to see their GP, according to new data released from the NHS with local Councillor Jim Robbins warning conditions could be going undiagnosed until it’s too late.
Scrutinising the numbers, Councillor Robbins said 3,234 people had waited for 28 days or more to see a GP in October with a further 9,275 people having to wait over two weeks to see their doctor.
Nationally, the NHS figures show almost two million people had to wait more than 28 days for an appointment in October, with a further 4.3 million waiting more than two weeks.
Shockingly, it was also revealed that one in seven people who tried to speak to either a nurse or GP were unable to get an appointment at all last year.
These findings come as the Labour Party plans to abolish the non-dom tax status, which allows some wealthy people who live in Britain to pay their taxes overseas, to pay for training a new generation of NHS staff.
Labour’s plan would:
- ·Double the number of medical school places, training 15,000 new doctors a year
- Train 10,000 additional nurses and midwives every year
- Double the number of district nurses qualifying each year
- Train 5,000 new health visitors
Mr Robbins also confirmed under Labour’s plan, patients would be guaranteed a face-to-face appointment with a GP if they wanted one, with a pledge to bring back the family doctor, so patients can see the same GP every time.
Cllr Jim Robbins, leader of the opposition at Swindon Borough Council said: “Patients in Swindon are finding it impossible to see a GP when they need to. Among those thousands waiting more than a month or not getting an appointment at all, there will be conditions going undiagnosed until it is too late.”
Heidi Alexander, Labour parliamentary candidate for South Swindon and the former Shadow Health Secretary added: “12 years of Conservative failure to train the staff our NHS needs has left it with thousands fewer GPs, and patients in Swindon are paying the price.
“Meanwhile the Conservatives are protecting the non-dom tax status, allowing the international jet-set who live in Britain to pay their taxes overseas.
“We need doctors and nurses, not tax breaks for non-doms.”
