FIFTH ONE of the UK’s 8,000 GP practices has closed or merged in the last decade –

According to one analysis, one-fifth of all mainstream apps have been shut down in the last ten years.

NHS statistics show fewer than 6,500 offices opened in the UK in June, up from 8,100 in 2013.

Some are completely closed, leaving patients no choice but to travel. Others combined to create “mega-operations”.

The closures have only increased listings, making it even more difficult for patients to get appointments.

A severe lack of access to a primary care physician is partly responsible for the record increase in emergency room wait times, making helpless patients feel like dealing with a victim is their only chance to be seen.

Despite warnings from activists, face-to-face dating has yet to reach pre-pandemic levels.

Case closure data came from a GPoline trade log †

Official figures show that only 63% of consultations held in April were held personally in the UK. At the current pace, it will take until September 2023 to reach more than 80 percent of the commitments seen before the pandemic.

With less than half (46%) of appointments made in person, Salford had the lowest percentage of patients seen in person. It was followed by Bury (51%), Somerset (53%) and Frimley (53%). Approximately 79% of appointments at Kirklees are in-person

Clinical studies show that small GP practices are more popular with patients.

Health leaders have previously warned that the increase in mega-apps threatens the beloved doctor-patient relationship, as patients are less likely to see the same doctor.

Continuity of care has been shown to reduce the risk of premature death and hospitalization.

Dennis Reed, director of Silver Voices, a charity for seniors, told MailOnline: “If local operations are shut down, it will be far from where people live and making access more difficult.

It’s part of the bigger problem of moving away from the GP model. Since its inception, NHS England has expanded its operations.

“Patients never go to the same doctor and that means they don’t even know their history and you have to start over every time you go.

“Reducing costs can help, but it worsens the patient experience and can lead to worse outcomes.”

GPOnline’s analysis found that the median patient list was over 9,500, up 37% from nearly 7,000 in 2013.

Meanwhile. Data from NHS Digital shows there are currently 61.7 million patients on the books across the UK.

By contrast, the figure was close to 56 million ten years ago.

A survey conducted earlier this year found that patient satisfaction with their medical practices, fueled by the dating crisis, fell to an all-time low.

An alert report last month saw patients rushing through consultations like “goods on the factory conveyor belt.”

In some parts of the country, a quarter of consultations take five minutes or less. Doctors say that making too many appointments increases the risk of missing a disease and prescribing the wrong medication.

To facilitate the visits of millions of patients, family doctors have been instructed to hold evening consultations on weekdays and weekends, beginning in October.

But primary care doctors, who earn an average of £100,000 a year, have threatened to cancel their NHS contract because they feel overwhelmed and fear the move will weaken them further.

In total, there are about 1,700 fewer full-time equivalent primary care physicians now than in 2015, despite the government’s commitment to recruit thousands more.

Many retire at age 50, move abroad or enter the private sector due to increased demand and paperwork.

In particular, discussion of current personal dating levels was also cited as a factor in GP discharge.

Before the pandemic, more than 80% of family doctor appointments were made face-to-face, but now close to 60 percent, the rest are made virtually.

Sajid Javid has repeatedly urged doctors to make more personal appointments.