Extended Wait Times for Medical Appointments Across England

Recent data reveals alarming waiting times for medical appointments in England, with the NHS Gloucestershire Integrated Care Board (ICB) leading the way for the longest delays. This region recorded that 8.59% of appointments took longer than 28 days to occur. Comparatively, NHS Dorset ICB was second at 6.88%, while NHS Norfolk and Waveney ICB ranked third with 5.35% of appointments exceeding the month-long wait.

According to a study conducted by elderly care experts at GuardianCarers.co.uk, the report analyzed NHS data from England’s 42 Integrated Care Boards regarding general practitioner (GP) appointments recorded between December 2022 and May 2025. The findings highlight significant disparities in waiting times, indicating that many patients face waits of over a week to see their family doctor.

Details on Appointment Wait Times

In total, NHS Gloucestershire processed 408,968 appointments that took more than 28 days, translating to 8.59% of all appointments in the region. This figure is notably higher than that of NHS Dorset, which had 370,827 appointments exceeding the threshold, resulting in 6.88% of total appointments. NHS Dorset operates approximately 80 practices in the area, whereas Gloucestershire’s waiting times are attributed to its 73 GP practices.

NHS Norfolk and Waveney follows with 347,781 appointments that took longer than a month, making up 5.35% of the total 6,500,498 appointments. The ICB encompasses 105 GP practices and five GP provider organizations. Additional regions reporting extended wait times include NHS Somerset, with 4.96% of appointments delayed, and NHS Sussex, which is slightly lower at 4.86%.

Comparative Analysis of NHS Waiting Times

The full list of NHS areas with the longest waiting times includes:

– NHS Gloucestershire: 408,968 out of 4,758,638 appointments (8.59%)
– NHS Dorset: 370,827 out of 5,391,002 appointments (6.88%)
– NHS Norfolk and Waveney: 347,781 out of 6,500,498 appointments (5.35%)
– NHS Somerset: 189,052 out of 3,813,285 appointments (4.96%)
– NHS Sussex: 584,570 out of 12,028,518 appointments (4.86%)

Conversely, NHS North Central London ICB reported the lowest waiting times, with only 1.16% of appointments taking longer than 28 days. It is closely followed by NHS South East London at 1.30% and NHS North East London at 1.32%.

The substantial waiting times reported in regions such as Gloucestershire, Dorset, and Norfolk and Waveney raise concerns about patient inconvenience and potential health risks. As NHS practices strive to improve their services, addressing these delays remains a critical challenge for healthcare providers across England.