A Shropshire GP has suggested that seeing a doctor may now be the most accessible part of the healthcare system, despite ongoing political debate over NHS waiting times.
Speaking on BBC Politics Midlands, Dr Jess Harvey, a GP at Much Wenlock and Cressage Medical Practice, said the early-morning “phone rush” to secure GP appointments had eased “in theory”. Her comments come amid criticism from politicians who argue that long waits to see a GP remain a serious issue.
In October, North Shropshire MP Helen Morgan described GP waiting times as “appalling”. The Liberal Democrats claimed that since January 2024, around 92,000 appointments across Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin had been delayed by four weeks or more. The figures reignited concerns about access to primary care.
However, Labour MP and environment minister Mary Creagh offered a more optimistic view. She acknowledged there was still “clearly work to do” but said waiting lists were falling. Creagh pointed to government pledges on increasing appointments, stating: “We said we would deliver two million extra appointments and we’ve delivered five million. So we’ve really done our best to relieve the pressure.”
Dr Harvey welcomed investment but stressed that GP surgeries face real-world limits. “We can’t magic appointments,” she said, explaining that practices are restricted by funding levels for staff and by physical space. In her own surgery, some staff have been asked to work from home simply to make room for additional clinicians.
She added that while some areas benefit from new buildings and investment, older practices struggle to expand. “If you have no space to put the extra staff, trying to increase capacity becomes incredibly difficult,” she explained.
The debate also touched on NHS productivity. Conservative MP Mark Garnier claimed productivity had dropped by around 18% since 2019. Dr Harvey strongly disputed this, calling the claim “really unhelpful” and arguing that GP productivity had in fact increased significantly. Official figures from the Office for National Statistics show overall NHS productivity was 5.4% lower in 2023 than in 2019, though more recent data suggests improvement.
Dr Harvey said GPs often feel like the “whipping boy” of the NHS, despite delivering millions more appointments than last year. She urged MPs to champion GP practices rather than criticise them.
Green Party member and campaigner Femi Oluwole echoed her views, arguing that meaningful NHS reform requires properly valuing doctors and nurses. “If you want to deal with the problems you see in the NHS,” he said, “we need a real conversation about valuing those who work in it.”