Demand for independent GP appointments and diagnostic referrals is likely to grow significantly in 2023, predicts the boss of one of the UK’s largest private hospital providers. In an interview for Newcross Healthcare’s Voices of Care podcast, Justin Ash, Chief Executive Officer of Spire Healthcare, said the NHS and the independent sector have worked together successfully for years to reduce waiting lists. During the pandemic this expanded as the private system provided resources to ease the burden on over-stretched NHS hospitals.
Now, as access to GP appointments becomes a growing issue for patients, the UK is seeing an explosion in private GP services, with a recent report showing that searches for private GPs increased 156% across three years to 2022.
Justin Ash explained: “We know that the GP service is hard-pressed. Many people are saying they're finding it hard to get a face-to-face appointment. The Spire GP offer is our fastest growing service. As soon as we open up new slots for face-to-face appointments, they're typically 25 minutes because there's a strong desire to sit down and build a relationship with the GP.
