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GP appointment wait

Average number of days patients wait for a GP appointment.

7.0 days
+6.1% vs 2026-03

As of 2026-04

Historical trend

Trend summary

36.3% of GP appointments in England took place on the same day as booking in April 2026.

Trend

  • The proportion of same-day appointments has been broadly stable since monthly data became available in 2019.
  • The total number of appointments has risen from around 25 million per month pre-pandemic to over 30 million in 2024–25.
  • A higher proportion of appointments are now conducted remotely (telephone or video) compared with 2019.

Context

  • NHS England GP appointment statistics cover appointments booked in general practice, including with nurses and other staff.
  • Coverage of the statistics has improved over time; earlier years are less complete.

Commentary contains no editorial judgement — describes direction, magnitude, and official projections only.

About this indicator

Source
NHS England
Update frequency
Monthly
Last updated
20 June 2026
Licence
OGL v3
Direction
↑ Rising

Statistics

Latest
7.0 days
Period high
8.9 days
Period low
6.4 days
Period average
6.9 days