150,000 Patients Facing Unacceptable GP Delays in West Berkshire

Something’s gone seriously wrong when 150,000 people in our area are left waiting over a month just to see a GP. 

I’ve been contacted by so many local residents struggling to get an appointment—people in pain, worried about loved ones, or stuck waiting weeks to even get advice. These figures don’t just confirm what we’re hearing—they show it’s only getting worse. And this is just the tip of the iceberg.

New analysis from the House of Commons Library shows that in 2024, 147,465 GP appointments in West Berkshire were booked more than 28 days after being requested. That’s a 12% increase on the previous year—and nearly 5% of all local appointments. No one should be waiting that long for basic healthcare. 

And it’s not just the very long waits. Over half a million local appointments—573,956 to be exact—were booked more than two weeks after being requested. That’s up 5% from 2023. 

The reality? People are being forced to turn to A&E because they can’t see a GP. Analysis by the Institute for Public Policy Research found that one in eight people who couldn’t get a GP appointment ended up going to A&E instead—piling more pressure onto emergency services already facing record-long 12-hour waits. It’s been suggested that these delays could have contributed to as many as 50,000 deaths last year. 

It’s not just a statistic. It’s a child with an undiagnosed illness. A parent who can’t get a sick note. An older resident living in pain. It’s families left in limbo. And it’s happening regularly right here, in our community. 

As your MP, I think it’s completely unacceptable—and I’m calling for change. 

We need a guaranteed legal right to see a GP within seven days, or within 24 hours if it’s urgent. That’s what the Liberal Democrats are fighting for. And that promise must come with the investment and staff our NHS so desperately needs. 

Our health service has been broken by years of Conservative neglect—and Labour doesn’t seem to be in any hurry to fix it. 

People in Newbury deserve better. They deserve timely, accessible care—when they need it, not weeks, or months later