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GP appointment wait

Average number of days patients wait for a GP appointment.

7.0 days
+6.1% vs previous period

As of 2026-04

Historical trend

6.3 7.6 8.9 2023-062024-112026-04

Trend summary

36.3% of GP appointments in England took place on the same day as booking in April 2026.

Trend

  • The proportion of same-day appointments has been broadly stable since monthly data became available in 2019.
  • The total number of appointments has risen from around 25 million per month pre-pandemic to over 30 million in 2024–25.
  • A higher proportion of appointments are now conducted remotely (telephone or video) compared with 2019.

Context

  • NHS England GP appointment statistics cover appointments booked in general practice, including with nurses and other staff.
  • Coverage of the statistics has improved over time; earlier years are less complete.

Trend summary generated by claude-sonnet-4-6 on 22 May 2025. Contains no editorial judgement — describes direction, magnitude, and official projections only.

About this indicator

Source
NHS England
Update frequency
Monthly
Last updated
16 June 2026
Licence
OGL v3
Rising trend is…
Negative

Statistics

Latest
7.0 days
Period high
8.9
Period low
6.3
Period average
6.9