Latest figures reveal that GP teams across mid and south Essex delivered almost seven million appointments in 2024, a five per cent increase in appointment activity compared to 2023.

Alongside this increase, last year more patients had a face-to-face appointment than the national average (75% compared to 66%), while just over half of all appointments in mid and south Essex were delivered within the same or next day of request.

Pam Green, Executive Director for Primary Care at the NHS Mid and South Essex Integrated Care Board, said "The latest figures clearly demonstrate demand for GP services is rising and how hard GP practice staff are working. We know there is more to do to and we remain committed to working with local GP practices to modernise general practice, expand pharmacy services, and offer patients more choice in how they access care.

"More and more people are also now able to use the NHS App for booking appointments, managing prescriptions and general advice helping free up the phonelines and valuable appointments for those that need it most."    

Residents are also now able to access some healthcare services that they can refer themselves into, without a GP appointment. Self-referral services include the minor eye conditions service which saw almost a 35% rise during 2024 with the number of self-referral services growing. View the full list of services, from smoking cessation to physiotherapy to foot care, on the NHS Mid and South Essex website: https://www.midandsouthessex.ics.nhs.uk/health/nhs-self-referral-services-in-mid-and-south-essex/

The trend of using the Pharmacy First service to get help for minor health concerns is also growing, with pharmacies delivering over 99,000 Pharmacy First consultations last year. Local community pharmacists provide patients with expert advice about minor illness, and advice and treatment for seven common conditions.

Other initiatives like improving telephone access and building up the general practice workforce are also helping to improve patient access and experience. All GP practices in mid and south Essex are now moving to digital phone systems. This allows patients to know their number in the queue and request a call-back rather than having to wait. The number of GPs and wider healthcare professionals within practices has also increased to over 4,330 staff members, who are helping to ensure patients are seen by the right clinician for their needs and reducing waiting times for appointments.

Despite these positive improvements, each month 18,000 booked appointments in GP surgeries are not attended as patients fail to show up. Patients are urged to cancel their appointments if they no longer need it, so that it can be offered to other patients. Failing to cancel an appointment results in NHS resources going to waste.

NHS Mid and South Essex has launched a campaign to raise awareness about access to local primary care services. The Get the Care You Need Quicker Campaign aims to help patients find different services so they can get the care they need. Find out more about self-referral services, the wider GP team, and how digital tools are supporting people to access the care they need more quickly on the NHS Mid and South Essex website: https://www.midandsouthessex.ics.nhs.uk/health/campaigns/get-the-care-you-need-quicker/