Complaints about GPs and dentists soar by 25 per cent

Massive pressure has been put on the nation's GP and dental surgeries since the start of the pandemic, which led to higher demand for medical services and backlogs building for appointments.

New data from NHS Digital shows 1,548 complaints were made about GPs and dentists in the former NHS Bradford District and Craven CCG area in the year to March – up 25 per cent from the 1,237 made in the year to March 2019.

Of last year's complaints - 807, or 52 per cent, were fully upheld, meaning the medical provider was ultimately found to be in the wrong.

This was up from 2018-19, when 40 per cent of complaints were upheld.

NHS Digital did not collate data on complaints for 2019-20 due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The NHS in Bradford said its GPs are working "exceptionally hard" and a new campaign is being launched to increase awareness of how services in GP practices can be accessed.

It added that in October 2022, nearly 25,500 more appointments were delivered in comparison to pre-pandemic levels.

Judith Cummins, MP for Bradford South, said: “I constantly hear from constituents who are frustrated that they cannot get a GP appointment and that when they do, it is often a telephone consultation because face-to-face appointments still are not back to pre-pandemic levels.

“Telephone appointments are a useful tool but they simply cannot replace actually seeing and examining a patient in person.

“Irregular phone check-ups leave patients at risk of misdiagnosis or a missed diagnosis.

“I have repeatedly raised in Parliament the shortage of GPs and the problems my constituents have being able to get an appointment in Bradford South.

“The fact is that the Government has chronically underinvested in the NHS for the last twelve years.

“On top of rising demand and declining GP numbers, it is no wonder that the number of complaints has gone through the roof, and it is putting patients at risk."

A spokesperson for the Bradford District and Craven Health Care Partnership said: “Nationally we have seen an increase in people speaking out about their health and care experiences, alongside an increased demand for primary care services and this is reflected in the data.

"Although all health services are under a lot of pressure, our GP practices continue to work exceptionally hard to provide people with good quality care and a positive experience.  

"In October 2022, 415,985 appointments were delivered across Bradford District and Craven, which is an increase of over 25,466 appointments in comparison to pre-pandemic levels.

“One of the common themes that we hear from people through complaints and feedback is that we need to communicate more clearly about how GP practices are working. Across Bradford we have launched a new campaign, 'It's a GP Practice Thing' to increase public awareness of the range of services available at GP practices, and how they can be accessed.

"The campaign has been developed by working with local patient groups and primary care staff to develop the most effective messages.”

Nationally, GPs accounted for most complaints across the two sectors, with 99,500 made in 2021-22 – up 37 per cent from 72,400 in 2018-19.

Dentists saw a smaller rise, with the number of complaints increasing by 2 per cent from 14,100 to 14,300 over the same period.

The Royal College of GPs, which represents the profession, said that GPs were "doing their absolute best in exceptionally difficult circumstances".

Profession Kamila Hawthorne, chair of the organisation, said that "the vast majority of patients are satisfied with the care they received".

In response she called on the Government to remedy the "spiralling workload and workforce pressures" faced by GPs, urging it to take on a new recruitment and retention strategy to deal with staffing issues.

The British Medical Association, a trade union for medical staff, said it understands patients' frustrations with the health service – but that GP practices are currently facing "unbearable pressures".

Across England, the most common reason for complaining about a GP surgery last year was 'communications', listed on 15 per cent of complaints, while for dentists, the largest proportion of complaints was about 'clinical treatment'.

Separate figures, also from NHS Digital, show GPs carried out 32 million appointments in October – the highest monthly figure since November 2017, when records are first available.

An NHS England spokesperson said GP staff are working "non-stop" to provide patients with the care they need.

“While seven out of 10 patients report a good experience at their practice, the NHS is determined to make it easier to get an appointment, which is why we have recruited over 21,200 additional staff since 2019 and improved practice telephone systems so that people can speak to staff more quickly and easily,” they said.

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