The latest general practice appointment figures, released by NHS England, show that 989,832 appointments were offered in Kent and Medway in November 2022. Of those appointments, more than 630,000, were face-to-face or home visits.
With an estimated population of 1.8 million people in Kent and Medway, it means that the equivalent of over 50 per cent of the population accessed general practice services in November (if all patients had been once).
Compared to pre-pandemic data, 775,891 appointments were offered in November 2019, this is an extra 213,941 appointments available for the month, or more than a 25% increase.
The data also shows that more than 54,000 people did not attend their appointments in November.
We would urge anyone who can no longer attend any appointment (be it with their GP practice, a vaccination appointment, or a hospital appointment) to please cancel them. This allows the NHS to use the time to see other patients in need.
See more information on general practice here.