A BRADFORD MP has hit out at GPs for failing patients after figures revealed the number of appointments declined as surgeries helped deliver the Covid vaccination rollout in December.

Twelve per cent fewer GP appointments were carried out in the Bradford district and Craven in December, figures show, as health care workers focused on ramping up the coronavirus booster jab rollout.

A letter from the NHS at the time said this “could include pausing routine and non-urgent care and redeploying staff” to support the rollout.

NHS Digital figures show 364,636 GP appointments were held across the NHS Bradford District and Craven CCG area in December.

That was 12 per cent fewer than the month before, but 19 per cent more than the 307,371 which took place in December 2020.

The most recent figures did not include vaccination appointments and walk-ins, with more than 125,000 jabs delivered in Bradford and Craven in December alone.

Dr James Thomas, a local GP and clinical chair at NHS Bradford District and Craven Clinical Commissioning Group, said: “GP practices in Bradford district and Craven have delivered over 364,000 routine appointments – ensuring people received urgent care, support for long-term conditions and cancer care was prioritised – whilst also delivering more than 125,000 Covid-19 vaccinations in December, as the NHS answered the Prime Minister’s call to focus all available resource on fighting Omicron.

"GP practices are working harder than ever and offering more appointments than ever before with a range of healthcare professionals so that we can make best use of our skilled teams while ensuring we keep our colleagues and our patients safe.”

Bradford East MP Imran Hussain declared he is putting Bradford's GPs on notice after many residents came to him to explain their difficulty in getting appointments.

Speaking in Parliament, Mr Hussain attacked GPs over a number of cases brought to him by constituents left waiting for extended periods on phones that were never answered by GP practices.

However, Mr Hussain stated while fewer GPs caring for more patients explained the scarcity of appointments, it did not explain the poor service patients were reporting to him.

Mr Hussain said: “For far too long, even before the coronavirus pandemic, getting an appointment with your GP has been far too difficult, with many people forced to wait days, weeks or even longer to see their doctor. This level of service is unacceptable anywhere, but it is particularly serious in Bradford where we already see grave health inequalities.

“I am putting practices who keep patients on hold for hours on end, who fail to release appointments for weeks, and who refuse to see their patients, on notice to deliver the service that people deserve.”