The Government said the new data published by NHS Digital – which gives detailed information on appointments and waiting times for individual GP practices across England – will help patients ‘make a more informed choice about the practice they choose to visit’.
But the move has not been welcomed by everyone, with the Royal College of GPs criticising the lack of context around how different practices operate.
NHS Digital cautioned GP workloads can be affected by several factors such as the demographic of patients registered at the practice, how deprived the area is and the number of care homes the practice offers services to.
The new practice-level figures come as part of the Government's ‘plan for patients’, which includes a new ambition for every patient to get an appointment at their GP practice within two weeks.
However, the RCGP said the Government should address the root cause of GP pressures – including recruitment and retention of doctors – instead of ‘lumbering a struggling service with new expectations’.
Here are the 10 Ashfield surgeries with the highest numbers of patients left waiting two weeks or more for an appointment.
1. Torkard Hill Medical Centre, Hucknall
At Torkard Hill 49.9 per cent of 7,436 appointments took place more than two weeks after they had been booked Photo: Google
2. Whyburn Medical Centre, Hucknall
At Whyburn Medical Centre 38.6 per cent of 6,699 appointments took place more than two weeks after they had been booked Photo: Google
3. Brierley Park Medical Centre, Huthwaite
At Brierley Park Medical Centre 37.3 per cent of 5,160 appointments took place more than two weeks after they had been booked Photo: Google
4. Kirkby Community Care Centre, Kirkby-in-Ashfield
At Kirkby Community Care Centre 35.9 per cent of 3,932 appointments took place more than two weeks after they had been booked Photo: Google