CONCERNS have been raised over ease of access to GP services across North Wales.

North Wales members of the Senedd have raised concerns that 58 out of 97 GP practices in the region have achieved General Medical Services (GMS) In Hours Access Standards since being introduced by the Welsh Government in 2019.

The standards provide guidance over what is expected of patients and professionals, including a prompt response to their contact with a GP practice via telephone and that systems are in place to avoid repeat patient calls.

Across Wales, 76 per cent of practices have achieved all the access standards, but in North Wales the figure stands at just 59.8 per cent.

Among North Wales surgeries, about a third of calls are not answered within two minutes of a GP surgery’s introductory message ending.

Darren Millar, MS for Clwyd West and shadow minister for North Wales, said: “Everyone needs good access to their GP but these figures show that this clearly isn’t happening at a great many surgeries in North Wales.

“It is deeply concerning that across the 97 GP surgeries in North Wales, 32 per cent of calls are just not being answered. The consequences of this don’t bare thinking about.

“These standards were put in place to help ensure patients receive the service and care they need and deserve from their GP and it therefore crucial that the Welsh Government acts now to improve these figures, so that all patients, no matter which part of Wales they live in, are able to easily access their doctor’s surgery when they need to.”

The slower response times among some GPs in North Wales are said to be due to delays in upgrades to telephony systems during the Covid-19 pandemic, which has had a "significant impact" on GP access in the region.

Dr Chris Stockport, executive director of primary and community care for Betsi Cadwaladr Uniiversity Health Board, said: “It is incorrect to state that one in three calls made to North Wales GP surgeries are going unanswered. The performance measure relates to compliance against a national target of 90 per cent of calls being answered within two minutes of a GP surgery’s introductory message ending.

“In the last quarter of the 2020/21 financial year, this target had been met by 68 per cent of GP surgeries in North Wales, with ten of the fourteen GP Cluster areas above the 90 per cent target. This is up from 56.3 per cent during the first three months of the Covid-19 pandemic (up until 30 June 2020).

“Delays in being able to upgrade telephony systems due to the Covid-19 pandemic prevented some GP practices from being able to accurately report on their performance, which has had a significant impact on the North Wales wide position.

“It is also important to note that in response to the Covid-19 pandemic, many GP practices have introduced alternative ways for patients to get in touch, in order to better manage demand. This includes an increased use of email and video consultations.”

Seven years ago the North Wales Local Medical Committee raised concerns that GPs in North Wales were in crisis and in 2017 said there is a "crisis with provision" due to "significant strain" amid a shortage of practices.

Mark Isherwood, MS for North Wales, said: “The reality behind the Minister’s protestations is revealed in the latest figures.

“This shocking situation is reflected in the experience of constituents after years in which the Welsh Government dismissed warnings from those actually delivering GP services in our communities.”

GPs in North Wales face a range of challenges including catching up with a large backlog of routine work that had to be suspended to support the Covid-19 response, unprecedented new demands for care, national recruitment difficulties, continued COVID-19 restrictions – including social distancing, and the ongoing vaccination programme.

The North Wales Local Medical Commitee said: "The fact that so many North Wales practices have achieved these access standards in the midst of the pandemic and the ongoing workforce crisis is testament to the huge efforts being made by GPs and their teams to maintain a service in the face of so many difficulties.

"General Practice has been seriously under resourced for many years and difficulty in accessing practices is a reflection of just how busy those practices currently are.

"General Practice is currently dealing with around a 20 per cent greater workload than pre-pandemic with a dwindling workforce not just of GPs but also of other skilled practice staff.

"The impact of staff having to self-isolate is also significant, as are the waiting times and shift of work from secondary care.  Over the course of the pandemic new solutions have rapidly been put in place to help patients access help when needed, but these have brought with them new workload streams that didn’t previously exist.

"Moving forward if we are to maintain or improve access we need effective resources in order to achieve this, not just financial but importantly a real increase in the workforce needed to deliver general practice."

Last year 65 per cent of GPs in Wales achieved GMS standards, which has risen by one sixth in 2021.

The Welsh Government ‘Train. Work. Live.’ campaign for GP training launched in 2017 saw 29 new trainees on schemes in North Wales last year, including in Bangor and Wrexham.

Eluned Morris, minister for health and social care, said: “We did set out some standards that we announced back in March 2019, and there were a whole series of standards that GPs needed to respond to, if they were to get enhanced payment that was due.

“I have written to Members today to set out who received what and who achieved what in relation to meeting those standards.

“We do have measures and ways of trying to interact and engage, and we will be doing that in the next few weeks, with general medical services, to make sure that we can drive up access for our patients around the whole of Wales.”

The Welsh Government has been approached for comment.