HEREFORD Medical Group says GP surgeries across the country are under "huge pressure", but it is open and seeing patients.

The group, whose surgeries include Station Medical Centre, Bobblestock Surgery and Credenhill Surgery, said in the last three months it had delivered more than 41,500 appointments, 25,000 of which were face-to-face.

The group said that number did not include flu or Covid vaccination appointments.

There has been criticism of Hereford Medical Group from patients unable to book appointments, but Dr Sarah Morgan-Jones said the surgeries were "very much open" as they had been throughout the pandemic.

She said patients have the choice of whether to have a face-to-face appointment, or remote for convenience.

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"Our doors are open and our friendly, helpful team of receptionists will be there to greet you," she said.

"As well as offering routine doctor's appointments, we're lucky enough to have a huge team of allied professionals, including nurses, nurse practitioners and physiotherapists who may be able to help you with your problem and you'll be offered the most appropriate appointment for your current need.

"We also have a dedicated team offering on the day appointments to help you with your more urgent problems."

In a video message to patients on Hereford Medical Group's Facebook page, Dr Morgan-Jones added: "General practice in general is experiencing huge amounts of pressure and demand at the moment.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for working with us and for your understanding."

Research carried out by academics at the University of Manchester showed a large proportion of the workload for GPs was taken up by patients who made a disproportionate number of visits to the clinic.

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The research, published in BMJ Open, found that GPs were carrying out more consultations over the telephone and online, but for frequent attenders face-to-face appointments continued to increase.

Professor Martin Marshall, chairman of the Royal College of GPs, said: “As well as having more patients than 20 years ago, GPs and our teams are seeing more patients who are living with multiple, long-term conditions, who often require general practice care and services more frequently.

“As this research suggests, this is increasing the complexity of workload in general practice, as well as volume.

“GPs know and understand their patients and we’re able to deliver the care our patients with complex health conditions need because of the relationships we’ve built with them over time.

“This is why it’s so important that we’re able to maintain continuity of care in general practice for those who need it, but this involves being able to spend more time with patients – and whilst demand for appointments is high, and staffing pressures in general practice prevail, being able to offer longer appointments in general practice means being able to offer fewer overall.

“GPs and our teams are working under intense resource and workforce pressures. These pressures existed before the pandemic, but the crisis has only exacerbated them.

“We urgently need the Government to make good on its promise of 6,000 more GPs and 26,000 more members of the practice team – as well as introducing measures to tackle the ‘undoable’ workload in general practice – so that we’re able to deliver the care our patients need, including spending more time with them where necessary.”