FOLLOWING news this week that Thurrock has the most patients per GP – nearly twice the number of the best served areas – Cllr Mark Hooper, cabinet member for health and well-being, is calling on the government to address this 'shocking postcode lottery'.

Cllr Hooper said: "As astonishing as these revelations might seem I am sure they have not come as a surprise to people in Thurrock, who for a long time have faced severe difficulties in getting local appointments.

"This is not the fault of hardworking local GPs, who do their best to look after patients with up to twice the workload of their colleagues elsewhere.

"In Thurrock, we have nearly twice as many patients per GP as The Wirral. This is an appalling situation that puts our residents at a real disadvantage and creates very real health risks for them. It is entirely unacceptable.

"I have requested a meeting with the Minister to discuss this situation and find out what plans the government has to create a level playing field to give Thurrock residents the kind of access to healthcare they deserve.

"I will also be raising these concerns directly with NHS Mid and South Essex Integrated Care Board, who are responsible for our GP services. I will ask them what plans they have to address this problem and make sure that people living in Thurrock have the same access to GPs as their neighbours in Essex."

Thurrock has the highest number of patients per GP in England at 3,431- nearly double that of the best served areas.

The issue has also been addressed by borough Labour MP Jen Craft.

She said: "Throughout the General Election campaign I was saying how badly we were serves by health services in Thurrock and how we had been let down by the previous Government. This data underlines that and no one locally will be surprised to see this.

"Since becoming an MP, I have spoken to people across our area about the time they have had to wait to see their GP. I have also met with GPs who are frustrated at their inability to provide the service they want to for their community because of the lack of GPs here.

"Last week I held a coffee afternoon in Aveley to discuss this with local residents, GP practices and Thurrock Healthwatch. The biggest issue, by far, was access to healthcare. People shared really upsetting stories on how they felt delays in getting their appointment or being offered virtual meetings as opposed to face to face, affected their health outcomes.

"As a result of the meeting and today's shocking data, I will be writing to Tom Abell, the Chief Executive Officer of the Mid and South Essex Integrated Care Board, to ask him to bring together: local GPs, the Director of Health at the council, local councillors, and other relevant health authorities. I hope that we can collectively explore practical solutions and take meaningful steps to address the pressing shortage of GPs in our community.

"I will also be raising the issue of our poor local services with the Secretary of State when Parliament returns next week. We were elected to turn around our failing public services and our manifesto promised to train thousands more GPs, bring back face to face appointments and end the 8am rush for an appointment.

 "My job will be to work with government to focus that work on areas like Thurrock that are disproportionately poorly serves to attract more GPs to Thurrock and provide the facilities they need to serve our community.

"Our GPs work harder than any other in the country, this data shows it and I am incredibly grateful for all they do, our job will now be to lessen their load and allow them to provide the service that our community deserves.

"This situation in Thurrock is unsustainable and has persisted for too long. It is clear that substantial and immediate change is necessary to address the GP shortage and improve access to healthcare for my constituents".