Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent estimate he has made of the number of people on waiting lists for GP appointments as of November 2023 in Mid Bedfordshire constituency.

General practice does not operate with waiting lists. NHS England publishes monthly data on General Practice Appointments, including the approximate length of time between appointments being booked and taking place, but this is not a proxy for a “waiting list”.

There are several factors which can influence the timing of appointments, and it is not possible to estimate the time between the patient’s first attempt to contact their surgery and an appointment. For example, routine appointments such as screening tests or regular injections may be booked further in advance.