Thousands of patients are waiting nearly a month for a GP appointment in this town.

New data from the NHS has shown that more people are waiting a month for a GP appointment than at any time since when records began in 2017. 

READ MORE: Live updates: Long delays after crash on the M40

More than 3,000 people in Banbury constituency faced a wait of 28 days or more to see a GP in October alone.

A further 8,319 people had to wait more than two weeks.

Almost two million people in England had to wait more than 28 days in October, while a further 4.3 million had to wait more than two weeks.

At the same time, the number of GPs has fallen to a record low, leaving patients in a desperate scramble to be seen. Since 2013, 4,600 GPs have been cut.

Councillor Sean Woodcock, Labour’s group leader on Cherwell District Council said: “Patients in Banbury are finding it impossible to see a GP when they need to.

“Among those thousands waiting more than a month or not getting an appointment at all, there will be conditions going undiagnosed until it is too late.

“12 years of Conservative failure to train the staff our NHS needs has left it with thousands fewer GPs, and patients are paying the price.

“Meanwhile the Conservatives are protecting the non-dom tax status, allowing people who live in Britain to pay their taxes overseas. We need doctors and nurses, not non-doms.

“Labour will train a new generation of doctors and nurses, paid for by abolishing non-doms.”

 

Read more from this author

This story was written by Matthew Norman, he joined the team in 2022 as a Facebook community reporter.

Matthew covers Bicester and focuses on finding stories from diverse communities.

Get in touch with him by emailing: Matthew.norman@newsquest.co.uk

Follow him on Twitter: @OxMailMattN1

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