Ruth Cadbury protests as her constituents wait more than 28 days to see their GP

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“This delay is not the fault of GPs or practice staff – but rather is the result of the Governments incompetence”

MP for Brentford & Isleworth Ruth Cadbury says she was shocked to find nearly 2,000 people in her constituency had waited more than 28 days to see their GP.

New NHS figures show 1,898 people have had to wait that long. National figures show almost two million people in England have had to wait more than a month to see a GP.

‘‘People locally are finding it harder and harder to see a GP when they need to.

“I was shocked to see the new figures showing nearly 2,000 people waited more than a month, and I know from listening to people locally that these delays are having a huge impact.

“This delay is not the fault of GPs or practice staff – but rather is the result of the Governments incompetence.

Speaking in the House of Commons on Tuesday 6 December Ruth Cadbury MP accused the Government of doing “too little, too late” to tackle the shortage of GPs across England.

Part of the problem, she said, was GPs having to retire early or work fewer hours due to the Government’s rules on NHS pensions.

“12 years of failure by successive Governments has meant that we are not training enough new GPs. Additionally, the Government are failing to help support GPs so that they can stay working.

“In Parliament I mentioned the local example where a senior GP who works locally was facing the prospect of having to retire, emigrate or work fewer days because of the Governments pensions rules.

“The Government have been warned by doctors for years about these pension rules and the difficulties that they cause, but they’ve refused to act.”

The Government has recently announced a consultation to review these rules.

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