Mansfield MP visits Orchard Medical Practice to discuss access to GPs

Ben Bradley met with Dr West and was able to see first-hand how busy the diary was with patient appointments, both on the phone and face-to-face.

They discussed the steps that the practice is taking to bring in new and different clinicians to enable them to see more patients.

In a video posted to the Mansfield MP’s Facebook page following the meeting, he said that “we know there is a massive national shortage of GPs, which is hugely challenging.”

Mr Bradley went on to praise the work that was going on at Orchard Medical Practice to mitigate the issues they are currently facing. He also said that he can “confirm that all of the doctors here have a full list of phone calls and face-to-face appointments filling the diary.”

Mr Bradley said: “I’d like to say a huge thank you to Dr West and the team at Orchard Medical Practice for this insight in to the challenges GP surgeries are facing across the country. The diary is back to back with appointments, and that the practice is doing everything it can to fit in as many patients as possible.

“I often receive correspondence from constituents with concerns that their GP is avoiding seeing patients. However, it’s clear that this is not the case.

"Mansfield and the rest of the country are facing the same issue, which is that GPs are in high demand and there just aren’t enough doctors.

“Unfortunately, there is no quick fix to this and it is an incredibly complex situation, particularly as our population gets longer term, more complex illnesses and conditions that need to be managed.

"I’m looking forward to feeding this meeting back to Government and working towards a solution.

“Locally, I’ll be working with the Integrated Care System, which will be hugely beneficial in the long-term by bringing together primary care, social care and the NHS to tackle some of these challenges.”