Overview
- NHS England data show 1.77 million appointments in November were booked more than four weeks ahead, with 7.6 million such waits recorded between September and November, up by about 300,000 year on year.
- October was the worst on record for four-week waits, and every region reported increases, led by the South West with 53,000 more month-long waits since July 2024.
- Local figures highlight sharper deterioration in some areas, including a 47% rise in Northamptonshire and sizable jumps in Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire, and Herefordshire and Worcestershire.
- Across the latest data, 21% of appointments took place at least two weeks after booking and 7.5% followed waits of four weeks or more.
- The Liberal Democrats called for a legal right to see a GP within seven days or within 24 hours for urgent cases, while the government said the figures include routine follow-ups, pointed to £1.1bn extra for primary care and 2,500 more GPs, and flagged an AI demand-forecasting tool now used by 50 NHS organisations.