Labour pledges to bring back the family doctor for patients

Researchers have found that sticking with the same GP leads to fewer hospital admissions and lower mortality rates, particularly for patients with long-term health conditions. However, only half of patients regularly see the same doctor.

Shadow Health Secretary Wes Streeting said: “It’s much better for patients to see the GP who knows their medical history, face-to-face if they wish.”

“But patients are finding it impossible to get an appointment at all, let alone with the doctor they want, in the manner they choose. It’s no surprise given the Conservatives have cut 2,000 GPs since 2015.”

Labour this week puts health at the centre of its local election campaign with a pledge to “bring back the family doctor” so patients can see the same GP every time.

Other proposals include training an additional 7,500 doctors each year, bringing the total up to 15,000. Labour says it would pay for this with extra tax revenue from abolishing non-dom status.

A Labour government would also guarantee patients face-to-face appointments if they want them, so that nobody is forced to receive a consultation on the phone or online, Mr Streeting said.

NHS data shows that only half of GP appointments are held face-to-face in some parts of the country, with the rest mainly held over the telephone. Before the pandemic, 84% of GP appointments were held face-to-face.

In a report last year, the House of Commons Health and Social Care Committee said: “There is a wealth of evidence that higher levels of continuity of care in general practice are better for both patients and GPs themselves.”

Labour is hoping to make gains across the country but particularly in “red wall” areas such as the North East in council elections on May 4. In previous weeks the party has focused on crime and the cost of living.

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