According to an official survey, about one in five people fail to get an appointment within two working days. Patients found it difficult to see their GP within two working days, than previously. The national GP survey found that proportion of patients who had advanced booking, has also fallen.

Labor had spent millions of Pounds on forcing GP surgeries to open for longer, but to no effect, shared Andrew Lansley, Health Secretary. GP leaders asserted that swine flu pandemic had put extra pressure on the surgeries, taking up all the appointments and making it difficult for patients to see their doctor.

It was targeted that patients should be able to see a GP within two days, under the Labor Government. A female patient had to call each day at 8am for an appointment for that day, but it was unfeasible to book advance appointments for non-urgent matters, as the GPs were struggling to meet the targets.

After that doctors were suggested that patients should be able to book advance appointments and see a doctor, if it is required.

Health Secretary, Andrew Lansley shared that patient satisfaction on access has gone down, irrespective of the fact that previous Government incurred an expenditure of £161 million into enforcing a one-size fits all extended opening hours scheme.

Lansley said, “Instead of the Government telling GPs what patients want, we want patients to tell their GP themselves what they want and then give GPs the freedom to provide services and be accountable for the results they achieve”.