A recent analysis of GP surgeries in Somerset has highlighted significant differences in waiting times for appointments, shedding light on patient experiences in the region.

The data for May reveals that one in eight GP appointments in the NHS Somerset Integrated Care Board area took place more than three weeks after being booked.

A total of 312,065 GP appointments were recorded in the Somerset area during May. Of these, 66.9% occurred within a week of booking, with 43.2% taking place on the same day.

However, 12.2% of appointments were held more than three weeks after booking, exceeding the national average of 9.8%.

Focusing on Street and Glastonbury, the data highlights the differences in waiting times for local GP surgeries:

• Vine Surgery Partnership, Street: Only 3.9% of appointments took place over 21 days after booking, with 54.5% on the same day. Patients typically wait between 2 to 7 days for an appointment.
• Glastonbury Health Centre: 3.8% of appointments occurred over 21 days after booking, with 50.0% on the same day. Usual wait times are generally 1 day.
• The Glastonbury Surgery: 19.1% of appointments took place over 21 days after booking, with 29.9% on the same day. Patients typically wait between 2 to 7 days for an appointment.

Dr Amanda Doyle, national director for primary care at NHS England, commented on the broader context: "Millions more appointments are being delivered every month compared to before the pandemic thanks to GP teams. Every GP practice is upgrading their telephone systems to make it easier for patients to contact their surgery, while patients can use the NHS app to order repeat prescriptions and view their test results without needing to contact their family doctor."

Nationally, 30.4 million appointments were offered at GP surgeries across England in May. Of these, 69.2% were within a week of booking, including 44.3% on the same day. However, 3.0 million appointments, nearly 10%, took place more than three weeks after booking.