Thousands of sick Brits are booking private GP appointments instead of relying on the NHS, figures suggest.
Independent healthcare providers have reported a surge in demand since the start of Covid, with patients citing difficulties securing an appointment during the 8am rush and a lack of in-person consultations with their NHS clinic.
Top doctors have warned that general practice is at risk of following dentistry, with only those who for pay being able to access top quality care.
It comes as data today revealed more than 1,000 practices have closed since 2015, leaving remaining ones with heftier lists and forcing many rural patients to travel further for an appointment.
Patients satisfaction has dropped to its lowest level in four decades amid the never-ending appointments crisis.
A survey of 2,000 Brits, by Focaldata, suggests that a third (32 per cent) of adults have had an appointment with a private GP in the last three years.
Of this group, six in 10 had booked more than one private appointment, which can between £80 and £250, during this period.
Overall, more than half of respondents (53 per cent) said they would consider going private for a GP appointment.
The majority (54 per cent) reported having difficulty booking an in-person consultation with a GP, while almost half (45 per cent) said they struggled to get a phone appointment.
Among those who needed an appointment in the last six months, one in four (24 per cent) were unable to book one.
Most said the appeal was down to being seen quickly and because it was easier to book an appointment and see a GP in person if they went private.
The data was gathered on behalf of Spire Healthcare, which has nearly 4,000 consultants and 38 private hospitals across the UK.
Its latest results show that the number of appointments with its GPs had surged 39 per cent last year.
It says a lack of access to GPs, including face-to-face appointments, is becoming a ‘growing issue’ for patients and expects demand in the private sector to remain high.
Public satisfaction with GPs is at its lowest levels since records began in 1983, with more than four in 10 Brits saying they are dissatisfied, according to the British Social Attitudes survey.
Dr Jeremy Cohen, a GP who practises within the NHS and at Spire’s clinic in Harpenden, Hertfordshire said: ‘Most patients seen at Spire Healthcare seem to prefer to be seen privately because of both the speed of access and longer appointment time.
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