End of the family doctor as half of patients now don’t see the same GP, study finds

Family doctors are a ‘thing of the past’ with only half of patients always or even sometimes able to see the same GP, a study has found.

Critics described the lack of continuity as a ‘scandal’ that hampers care and forces patients to waste time repeating their medical history on every visit.

According to a poll of 2,339 patients for the Lib Dems, 57 per cent have seen a GP more than once over the past couple of years, with 20 per cent requiring more than five appointments. But only 52 per cent say they ‘always’ or ‘sometimes’ saw the same doctor.

Meanwhile 29 per cent said they ‘rarely’ saw the same medic and 18 per cent ‘never’ saw the same one – rising to 27 per cent of those aged 65 and over.

This is despite research showing that seeing the same GP helps the elderly avoid hospital admissions and improves the quality of treatment.

The Lib Dems commissioned the poll of  2,339 patients. Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey said: ‘It is a scandal that under the Government’s watch, the family GP has become a thing of the past’

Chancellor Jeremy Hunt (pictured) said in 2022 that booking a GP appointment would soon be like ordering a taxi, with patients allocated a different doctor each time

The Lib Dems are calling for all over-70s and patients with long-term physical or mental health conditions to have access to a named doctor. The policy would cover around 19million people. Party leader Sir Ed Davey said: ‘It is a scandal that under the Government’s watch, the family GP has become a thing of the past.

‘Pensioners are not receiving the care they need because doctor surgeries are swamped, leaving waiting times spiralling out of control.’ The research also found that 46 per cent of adults who have seen a GP more than once in the past couple of years are now finding the wait for an appointment ‘considerably longer’, rising to 55 per cent of those aged 65 and over.

Chancellor Jeremy Hunt said in 2022 that booking a GP appointment would soon be like ordering a taxi, with patients allocated a different doctor each time.

The former health secretary warned that the ‘Uberisation’ of primary care threatens the treasured relationship people have with their family doctor.

Professor Kamila Hawthorne of the Royal College of GPs said: ‘The reality is that we don’t have enough GPs to guarantee continuity of care to all patients.’