158,263 waits of over a month for GP appointment in Shropshire as Helen Morgan demands for right to see GP within a week

Helen Morgan MP has called for patients to be given a legal right to see their GP within a week, or 24-hours if in urgent need, following 158,263 waits of a month or longer for a GP appointment in Shropshire last year.

This data measures the time between booking an appointment and it taking place.

The research by the House of Commons Library, commissioned by the Liberal Democrats, revealed a sharp spike in the number of waits of more than a month in Shropshire. In 2023 the figure stood at 128,596 but jumped by 23% to 158,263 last year.

It meant that last year, waits of a month or longer in Shropshire accounted for 5.1% of all GP appointments.  

Waits of two weeks or longer were also staggeringly high. There were 543,167 waits of over 14 days in 2024, up from 482,644 the previous year, a rise of 13%. This accounted for 17.5% of all waits in Shropshire in 2024.

Previous analysis by the Institute for Public Policy Research has found that one in eight of those who could not get a GP appointment went to A&E instead. This places more pressure on emergency care, which has seen record long 12-hour A&E waits. Analysis of long A&E waits has suggested that they could have been responsible for 50,000 deaths last year.

Helen, the Liberal Democrat Health and Social Care spokesperson, has repeatedly called for action to increase the number of GPs, including exempting practices from the Employer NIC hike announced in the autumn budget.

She added that the figures laid bare how badly the Conservatives had broken local health services and criticised the Labour government for their “inexcusable” lack of urgency in fixing this crisis.

Liberal Democrat MP for North Shropshire, Helen Morgan said, “Behind these figures are individuals in our North Shropshire community who have had to wait in pain just to get the care they deserve, with potentially devastating consequences.

“It lays bare just how badly the Conservative broke health services here in Shropshire through their unforgivable neglect.

“The Labour government is now showing an inexcusable lack of urgency in fixing this crisis, opting for review after review instead of delivering action for people in our area.

“We need to see a legal right for patients to see a GP within seven days or 24-hours if in urgent need. Liberal Democrats are calling on the Government to show more ambition to get patients in Shropshire the care they deserve. Anything less will just prolong the misery.”