A BRADFORD MP has criticised the Health Secretary’s plans for GPs, calling them "a sticky plaster on a gaping wound".

Bradford East MP Imran Hussain plans unveiled by the Health Secretary Sajid Javid MP on Thursday introducing GP league tables and allowing surgeries to recruit temporary staff, backed by a one-time pot of £250 million of funding, do not tackle the fundamental problem of a lack of GPs in Bradford or address challenges faced by people struggling to obtain appointments.

The plans are aimed at encouraging GP practices, which are limiting the number of patients to stop the spread of Covid-19 in waiting rooms, to start seeing patients face-to-face again.

Mr Hussain has said problems faced by patients go deeper than just being able to access a face-to-face appointment, as many people have reported to him they are unable to get any form of consultation within a reasonable time frame, with many having to wait days for even urgent appointments because of a lack of GPs and capacity, whether it be face-to-face, over the phone or online.

This news comes as a Bradford mum living in the Girlington and Manningham area was left 'in tears' after trying to contact Bilton Medical Centre, in White Abbey, to get an appointment for her two children.

The woman, who wished to remain anonymous, told the T&A: "My two children are ill and I've been trying to ring the surgery for two days and nobody will answer. My daughter, who needs her medication renewed, is getting worse and worse. It's not an emergency, but I'm fed up of no-one answering. I was in tears."

The T&A contacted Bilton Medical Centre but they declined to comment.

Mr Hussain said these problems predated the pandemic, as he claimed the Bradford City CCG better served Bradford’s more deprived and densely populated inner-city region before its merger with the Bradford District CCG and Airedale, Wharfedale and Craven CCG.

Mr Hussain also said the £250m emergency winter rescue package won’t be provided over the long-term, only allowing surgeries to recruit temporary staff for the coming months, and the plans will introduce more red tape for GPs.

Mr Hussain said: “Being able to get any appointment, not just a face-to-face appointment, has long been a challenge for someone living in Bradford because we have fewer GPs per person, and whilst the Health Secretary is right to focus his attention on GP practices, his plans will do little to alleviate the problems faced by people here in Bradford “In Bradford’s inner-city areas there are close to 2,900 people for each full-time GP, which is far more than in any other area of the country despite our grave health inequalities. This is having a devastating impact on people to get treatment for even the most routine conditions.

“No-one should have to wait days for an appointment,. The Government must put patients first and do much more to get more full-time, permanent GPs into cities like Bradford. If it doesn’t, then these plans will prove to be nothing more than a sticking plaster on a gaping wound.”