Poll: 1 in 4 reveal they are unable to work because they can’t get a NHS appointment

EMBARGO: 22.30 Tuesday 15th October 

• The Liberal Democrats will be using their first full opposition day in 15 years to focus on the NHS and care crisis.
• Almost half (45%) of Brits have tried to get a NHS appointment in the last year and have been unable to.
• 1 in 4 (27%) reveal they are unable to work because they can’t get a NHS appointment
• Almost three in five (58%) adults who were unable to get a NHS appointment have self-diagnosed from searching their symptoms online.

The Liberal Democrats will today (Wednesday 16th October) use their opposition day in Parliament to raise the NHS crisis, as a shocking new poll commissioned by the party reveals reveals a quarter (27%) of working adults in the UK say they have been unable to work in the last 12 months because they were waiting for a GP (19%) or NHS dentist appointment (12%).

Of all UK adults who wanted a NHS GP or dentist appointment, almost half (45%) were unable to, revealing the extent of the strain on the NHS system as we head into the winter months. Even more concerningly, approaching one in five (17%) working adults say they have had to take at least one week off work whilst waiting for NHS treatment in the last 12 months. As many as one in five (21%) ended up taking more than two weeks off whilst they waited for treatment.

Shockingly, almost 60% of Brits unable to get a NHS appointment have resorted to self diagnosis by searching their symptoms online. The data also shows that three in ten (29%) ignored their symptoms completely as they couldn’t get the care they needed on the NHS.

This comes ahead of the Liberal Democrats opposition day on Wednesday, the first full  opposition day for the party in 15 years, and the first opposition motion in more than 6 years. The LiberalDemocrats will use their opposition day to highlight the crisis in the NHS and lack of support for unpaid carers – issues the party has urged the Labour government to prioritise in the new Parliament. 

The first Liberal Democrat motion will focus on the Carer’s Allowance repayments scandal, calling on the government to write-off existing overpayments and conduct a full review of support for unpaid carers. The second motion will urge Ministers to tackle the NHS crisis by improving access to GPs, NHS dentists and community pharmacists.

Commenting ahead of the opposition day, Liberal Democrat Health and Social Care Spokesperson Helen Morgan MP said: 

“It is an outrage that patients across the country are forced to take time off work because they can’t access the care they so desperately need. Every person who needs to see a doctor or dentist should be able to. But due to the neglect and incompetence of the former Conservative government, people are struggling to get the care they need.

“That is why the Liberal Democrats are calling for urgent investment in our health services to increase the number of GP and NHS dental appointments.

“Fixing the crisis in our NHS is crucial to kickstarting our economy, by cutting down waiting lists and getting people back into work. The new government must make health and social care their top priority.”

Liberal Democrat Chief Whip Wendy Chamberlain MP said: 

“When I speak to families and pensioners across the country, there is one issue that comes up again and again, that people can’t get an NHS appointment when they so desperately need it. 

“The Liberal Democrats have listened to people’s concerns, and will continue to fight in Westminster to make sure the government prioritises our health and care systems after years of neglect and mismanagement.”

ENDS