The number of people waiting more than two weeks to see their GP in England has shot up by more than 1.5million this year, official data shows. Between January and March, 12.3million appointments were made 15 days or more after patients had booked to see their doctor. This is a 14 per cent rise from the 10.8million during the same period last year, and represents one in six patients overall. Experts said the figures show how GPs' workloads are expanding as the number of appointments continues to grow but the number of doctors falls. Waiting times vary across the country. The worst performing area kept almost one in three patients waiting a fortnight and the best fewer than one in 10. Figures from NHS Digital showed patients in Swindon were most likely to wait 15 days or more for a doctor's appointment in March, when 30 per cent of them faced a two-week wait The figures released today by NHS Digital suggest a shortage of GPs is continuing to take its toll on patients. Doctors have repeatedly warned growing patient lists, ageing populations and reducing numbers of new recruits are damaging the system. Although the vast majority of appointments are booked and completed on the same day – 10million in March – the number of long waits has risen. Many appointments with long waits are routine follow-ups or non-urgent visits, but experts said the figures are still a sign of doctors' increasing workload. Patients in Swindon are the most likely to wait 15 days or more between booking their appointment and actually having it, according to the data. There, 30 per cent of the nearly 108,000 appointments in March took place more than two weeks after they were booked. Other Clinical Commissioning Groups – local NHS boards – where at least a quarter waited two weeks included Newark and Sherwood in Nottinghamshire (27 per cent), and North Derbyshire, South West Lincolnshire, South Norfolk and the Isle of Wight, which all recorded 25 per cent. Dr Richard Vautrey, chair of the British Medical Associaton's GP committee said: 'This data, while only providing a limited snapshot of the total work that GPs do, provides clear evidence of the rising workload pressure practices are under. 'We are providing a million more appointments each month, yet with hundreds fewer GPs. NHS GP SHORTAGE IS A 'DESPERATE SITUATION' Official figures showed in February that 41 per cent of GPs – around 10,000 doctors – are 50 or over and are expected to quit within the next five to ten years. And 2.5 million patients are at risk of their local GP surgery closing because so many are relying on doctors who are close to retirement, it was last week revealed. At the same time, fewer young doctors are choosing to specialise as GPs and are opting for other career paths as surgeons or specialists. Many GPs are retiring in their 50s, moving abroad or leaving to work in the private sector, increasing the pressure on those who still work in the sector. Appointment waiting times are getting longer and more people are going to A&E for minor illnesses because they can't see a doctor. Despite an NHS a plan to recruit 5,000 extra GPs by 2021, numbers of family doctors are falling. And 762 GP practices across the UK could close within the next five years, according to the Royal College of Nursing. Rachel Power, chief executive of the Patients Association, last week told The Times: 'This is a desperate situation with potentially serious consequences for patients.' 'As recent BMA analysis showed, this winter saw the whole health service under immense pressure, from GP practices to hospitals and beyond. 'Doctors and healthcare staff across the NHS [struggled] to manage workload and keep up with mounting demand. The obvious knock-on effect is longer waits, which can cause understandable distress to patients, and equal frustration for doctors.' In total, 4,262,723 patients waited more than 15 days for their appointment in March – 17.6 per cent of the total – with 1.09million of them waiting for more than four weeks. The 15-day figure was NHS England's highest since November last year, when it was 5.14m – 19.7 per cent of the total. But in March last year, after what was branded the health service's worst ever winter crisis, just 3,690,737 waited over two weeks – almost 572,000 fewer. A spokesperson for NHS England said: 'Appointments booked and attended over 15 days include many patients who require routine follow-ups or prefer to book dates to suit them. 'Around half of all GP appointments are booked and taken on the same day, or within 24 hours. 'There is greater access to GPs now than ever before.' Many of the best performing NHS groups were in London. Only nine per cent of patients in City and Hackney waited more than 15 days, along with 10 per cent of those in Waltham Forest, Merton, and South Sefton and Knowsley in Liverpool. West London, Lewisham, Redbridge, Lambeth and Croydon were all also among the 10 best performers. Dr Vautrey added: 'While we know that many patients are waiting too long to be seen, this data shows that the largest proportion of appointments continue to be made and attended the same day, while the majority are seen within a week of booking. 'And though these figures show a rise in patients being seen more than two weeks after making their appointment, it is important to note that many of these will be appropriately booking ahead for return visits or regular check-ups. 'What these figures do not account for is the vast range of other activities GPs complete in their day-to-day work – including training, meetings and paperwork, which add significantly to their workload. 'The majority of evening and weekend appointments will also not have been included, as well as some home visits and telephone triage calls.' WHERE DID THE HIGHEST PROPORTION OF NHS PATIENTS WAIT FOR MORE THAN TWO WEEKS BETWEEN BOOKING THEIR GP APPOINTMENT AND HAVING IT? (NHS Digital data for March 2019) NHS area No. of practices included Total appts No. who waited 15 days or more Percentage waiting for 2 weeks or more No. waiting more than 28 days NHS Swindon CCG 23 107,652 32,184 30% 9,569 NHS Newark and Sherwood CCG 14 64,359 17,186 27% 5,380 NHS North Derbyshire CCG 34 150,149 37,104 25% 13,506 NHS South West Lincolnshire CCG 17 64,933 15,955 25% 3,762 NHS South Norfolk CCG 23 112,094 27,741 25% 8,015 NHS Isle of Wight CCG 16 75,663 18,805 25% 7,442 NHS Darlington CCG 11 49,827 12,092 24% 4,311 NHS North Norfolk CCG 19 95,844 23,338 24% 6,883 NHS Horsham and Mid Sussex CCG 22 92,110 22,430 24% 7,295 NHS Tameside and Glossop CCG 37 110,490 25,362 23% 6,091 NHS Scarborough and Ryedale CCG 12 64,657 14,850 23% 4,722 NHS Hardwick CCG 15 59,689 13,911 23% 3,845 NHS Swale CCG 17 43,470 10,114 23% 2,847 NHS Fareham and Gosport CCG 18 85,670 19,460 23% 3,326 NHS Dorset CCG 85 379,052 86,213 23% 27,147 NHS South Cheshire CCG 17 79,355 17,134 22% 4,272 NHS Fylde and Wyre CCG 18 81,139 17,842 22% 5,859 NHS Greater Huddersfield CCG 37 105,873 23,792 22% 8,516 NHS Sheffield CCG 80 292,905 65,806 22% 22,874 NHS Mansfield and Ashfield CCG 26 95,850 21,477 22% 7,486 NHS Milton Keynes CCG 27 128,241 27,912 22% 8,651 NHS Bedfordshire CCG 48 212,666 46,984 22% 12,521 NHS East and North Hertfordshire CCG 51 221,214 48,012 22% 15,110 NHS West Norfolk CCG 21 101,005 22,662 22% 7,969 NHS Bexley CCG 5 24,371 5,403 22% 885 NHS Gloucestershire CCG 66 272,852 59,455 22% 16,323 NHS Blackpool CCG 18 80,449 17,100 21% 2,943 NHS Chorley and South Ribble CCG 27 68,804 14,470 21% 4,521 NHS Oldham CCG 41 105,326 21,958 21% 5,393 NHS Bradford Districts CCG 35 179,238 36,757 21% 14,646 NHS Harrogate and Rural District CCG 17 75,011 15,408 21% 4,432 NHS Lincolnshire East CCG 26 122,222 25,808 21% 7,100 NHS Erewash CCG 12 46,633 9,689 21% 2,440 NHS Lincolnshire West CCG 29 93,050 19,963 21% 4,920 NHS Nottingham North and East CCG 18 66,874 14,140 21% 4,381 NHS Southern Derbyshire CCG 53 243,786 50,347 21% 16,381 NHS West Leicestershire CCG 48 191,683 40,158 21% 12,335 NHS Dudley CCG 43 133,376 27,791 21% 6,558 NHS Norwich CCG 23 113,687 24,392 21% 6,327 NHS West Hampshire CCG 44 227,331 48,791 21% 10,502 NHS North Tyneside CCG 27 93,852 19,321 21% 4,888 South West 521 2,626,391 513,056 20% 141,685 NHS Salford CCG 19 47,986 9,384 20% 2,350 NHS Morecambe Bay CCG 33 149,294 30,031 20% 8,379 NHS Stockport CCG 35 122,588 24,590 20% 5,100 NHS Barnsley CCG 31 118,590 23,465 20% 5,429 NHS Calderdale CCG 25 102,277 20,373 20% 6,436 NHS Hull CCG 37 120,262 23,541 20% 5,151 NHS Vale of York CCG 25 148,019 29,779 20% 5,631 NHS Nottingham West CCG 10 50,213 10,019 20% 2,767 NHS Herefordshire CCG 20 95,062 19,278 20% 4,519 NHS Great Yarmouth and Waveney CCG 19 111,100 21,755 20% 6,738 NHS Mid Essex CCG 43 164,690 32,366 20% 8,633 NHS West Essex CCG 31 116,426 22,815 20% 4,904 NHS Coastal West Sussex CCG 47 247,588 50,746 20% 13,695 NHS Crawley CCG 12 56,085 11,421 20% 2,545 NHS North West Surrey CCG 38 132,035 26,779 20% 7,315 NHS Portsmouth CCG 16 90,367 18,112 20% 3,222 NHS Newcastle Gateshead CCG 60 216,345 43,014 20% 9,644 NHS North East Hampshire and Farnham CCG 19 87,229 17,389 20% 3,340 South East 793 3,520,275 651,766 19% 165,204 NHS East Lancashire CCG 50 148,919 28,013 19% 6,891 NHS Trafford CCG 29 82,658 15,397 19% 4,160 NHS Airedale, Wharfedale and Craven CCG 16 89,744 16,702 19% 5,673 NHS East Riding of Yorkshire CCG 30 129,240 25,106 19% 7,641 NHS Rotherham CCG 30 131,392 25,129 19% 7,213 NHS Rushcliffe CCG 12 67,155 13,085 19% 3,524 NHS South East Staffordshire and Seisdon Peninsula CCG 25 90,296 17,151 19% 3,679 NHS Luton CCG 26 92,757 17,497 19% 4,180 NHS Canterbury and Coastal CCG 14 112,863 21,117 19% 5,818 NHS Eastbourne, Hailsham and Seaford CCG 20 102,190 19,064 19% 6,251 NHS Medway CCG 42 83,162 15,944 19% 3,366 NHS Bath and North East Somerset CCG 24 97,437 18,826 19% 4,384 NHS Kernow CCG 24 160,984 30,963 19% 7,410 NHS Manchester CCG 81 237,173 45,514 19% 10,136 NHS Leeds CCG 99 409,476 79,636 19% 19,059 NHS Castle Point and Rochford CCG 22 67,159 12,594 19% 3,165 NHS Surrey Downs CCG 30 119,710 23,281 19% 6,979 NHS West Kent CCG 35 119,161 22,815 19% 6,214 NHS High Weald Lewes Havens CCG 18 73,425 13,612 19% 4,691 NHS Wiltshire CCG 48 264,987 51,307 19% 16,505 NHS Northern, Eastern and Western Devon CCG 86 478,087 89,013 19% 24,434 ENGLAND 6,383 24,247,759 4,262,723 18% 1,092,643 NHS Northumberland CCG 40 169,039 30,953 18% 9,023 NHS Eastern Cheshire CCG 21 80,616 14,899 18% 3,420 NHS Heywood, Middleton and Rochdale CCG 36 100,294 18,398 18% 4,607 NHS Greater Preston CCG 22 66,108 11,973 18% 2,295 NHS Bassetlaw CCG 9 57,852 10,641 18% 4,100 NHS Hambleton, Richmondshire and Whitby CCG 21 68,726 12,254 18% 3,691 NHS Wakefield CCG 36 196,067 36,181 18% 12,447 NHS East Leicestershire and Rutland CCG 31 173,231 30,540 18% 8,227 NHS Redditch and Bromsgrove CCG 21 83,788 15,059 18% 3,308 NHS Shropshire CCG 40 143,004 25,914 18% 4,546 NHS South Worcestershire CCG 27 137,836 24,956 18% 6,026 NHS Stafford and Surrounds CCG 14 65,563 11,751 18% 3,157 NHS Ipswich and East Suffolk CCG 40 199,687 36,180 18% 11,977 NHS North East Essex CCG 31 166,640 29,872 18% 7,202 NHS Havering CCG 35 78,105 14,133 18% 3,190 NHS Central London (Westminster) CCG 31 80,417 14,101 18% 2,802 NHS East Surrey CCG 16 77,383 13,999 18% 3,230 NHS Guildford and Waverley CCG 20 82,790 14,911 18% 4,154 NHS Thanet CCG 13 59,731 10,705 18% 2,795 NHS North Hampshire CCG 14 99,484 17,931 18% 2,805 NHS Oxfordshire CCG 64 320,931 56,821 18% 13,609 NHS Somerset CCG 58 235,708 42,739 18% 10,619 NHS Basildon and Brentwood CCG 39 107,318 19,125 18% 5,478 NHS Halton CCG 14 59,154 9,774 17% 2,566 NHS St Helens CCG 33 74,433 12,346 17% 2,596 NHS Vale Royal CCG 12 42,909 7,348 17% 1,049 NHS Warrington CCG 26 83,389 14,014 17% 3,607 NHS West Lancashire CCG 15 46,271 7,737 17% 1,708 NHS North Kirklees CCG 27 87,561 14,729 17% 4,921 NHS Nene CCG 64 313,278 52,338 17% 15,266 NHS Nottingham City CCG 53 163,459 27,190 17% 7,429 NHS Cannock Chase CCG 23 55,209 9,542 17% 1,597 NHS Wolverhampton CCG 39 102,321 17,879 17% 4,898 NHS West Suffolk CCG 24 117,087 19,614 17% 3,548 NHS Bromley CCG 43 109,881 19,028 17% 3,629 NHS Hounslow CCG 46 124,496 21,006 17% 3,624 NHS Hastings and Rother CCG 23 97,465 16,670 17% 5,316 NHS South Kent Coast CCG 15 46,160 8,048 17% 1,862 NHS Southampton CCG 26 116,375 19,605 17% 5,128 NHS Berkshire West 37 164,528 28,552 17% 6,175 NHS Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire CCG 78 452,699 74,840 17% 17,709 NHS South Lincolnshire CCG 13 89,474 15,376 17% 5,249 NHS Hartlepool and Stockton-on-Tees CCG 32 124,079 19,953 16% 4,437 NHS South Tees CCG 34 150,067 24,513 16% 8,260 NHS North Cumbria CCG 38 169,009 26,829 16% 7,898 NHS Southport and Formby CCG 17 52,994 8,676 16% 2,304 NHS Wigan Borough CCG 53 111,818 17,407 16% 4,363 NHS North East Lincolnshire CCG 25 93,405 15,086 16% 3,179 NHS North Lincolnshire CCG 19 87,780 14,097 16% 4,223 NHS Leicester City CCG 56 178,490 28,927 16% 9,157 NHS Walsall CCG 50 132,095 20,514 16% 5,131 NHS Cambridgeshire and Peterborough CCG 89 466,988 72,443 16% 19,777 NHS Enfield CCG 34 103,552 16,366 16% 1,841 NHS Richmond CCG 9 20,716 3,245 16% 482 NHS Surrey Heath CCG 7 46,676 7,258 16% 1,583 NHS South Eastern Hampshire CCG 19 88,434 14,547 16% 3,606 NHS Wirral CCG 48 152,402 23,672 16% 5,515 NHS Buckinghamshire CCG 45 213,184 34,049 16% 8,420 NHS South Devon and Torbay CCG 29 176,933 27,516 16% 7,585 NHS Sunderland CCG 40 120,451 17,544 15% 4,720 NHS Bolton CCG 32 102,313 15,657 15% 3,612 NHS West Cheshire CCG 30 109,874 16,760 15% 3,729 NHS Stoke on Trent CCG 43 104,542 15,832 15% 2,768 NHS Herts Valleys CCG 53 220,709 33,765 15% 6,591 NHS Camden CCG 31 88,964 13,653 15% 2,070 NHS Southwark CCG 36 120,913 17,643 15% 1,939 NHS Birmingham and Solihull CCG 162 551,241 81,360 15% 18,515 NHS North Durham CCG 30 136,834 19,591 14% 4,363 NHS South Tyneside CCG 21 62,544 9,057 14% 1,865 NHS Doncaster CCG 40 150,465 21,572 14% 6,094 NHS East Staffordshire CCG 15 48,852 7,054 14% 1,907 NHS Warwickshire North CCG 14 27,698 3,774 14% 796 NHS Barnet CCG 43 114,295 15,887 14% 3,168 NHS Greenwich CCG 6 29,239 4,020 14% 499 NHS Hammersmith and Fulham CCG 28 84,515 12,229 14% 2,398 NHS Harrow CCG 32 104,881 14,962 14% 2,460 NHS Islington CCG 28 88,246 12,572 14% 2,797 NHS Kingston CCG 19 64,842 9,120 14% 1,443 NHS Brighton and Hove CCG 33 118,095 16,538 14% 4,224 London 1,110 3,244,747 426,707 13% 69,611 NHS Durham Dales, Easington and Sedgefield CCG 36 170,969 22,440 13% 4,953 NHS Blackburn with Darwen CCG 22 62,483 7,853 13% 1,771 NHS Corby CCG 5 35,165 4,513 13% 1,009 NHS North Staffordshire CCG 31 84,534 10,680 13% 2,053 NHS South Warwickshire CCG 33 142,660 18,019 13% 4,184 NHS Barking and Dagenham CCG 28 68,086 9,069 13% 1,070 NHS Ealing CCG 74 181,361 24,035 13% 4,500 NHS Tower Hamlets CCG 34 139,948 18,012 13% 2,767 NHS Ashford CCG 12 72,929 9,845 13% 2,683 NHS East Berkshire CCG 39 164,537 22,027 13% 4,706 NHS Southend CCG 28 67,539 8,900 13% 1,865 NHS Coventry and Rugby CCG 61 178,228 21,460 12% 4,539 NHS Sandwell and West Birmingham CCG 81 256,736 30,386 12% 9,057 NHS Telford and Wrekin CCG 14 77,540 9,522 12% 1,461 NHS Thurrock CCG 27 76,442 9,093 12% 1,702 NHS Brent CCG 56 141,601 17,451 12% 2,075 NHS Haringey CCG 35 92,376 11,336 12% 1,575 NHS Hillingdon CCG 44 103,748 12,661 12% 1,638 NHS Newham CCG 49 137,789 16,279 12% 2,601 NHS Sutton CCG 22 76,644 9,231 12% 2,145 NHS Wandsworth CCG 39 150,340 18,732 12% 3,128 NHS Liverpool CCG 88 215,725 25,966 12% 5,033 NHS Bradford City CCG 25 70,000 8,017 11% 2,630 NHS Wyre Forest CCG 11 74,486 8,312 11% 2,226 NHS Croydon CCG 46 143,172 16,449 11% 2,912 NHS Lambeth CCG 39 143,793 15,509 11% 2,006 NHS Lewisham CCG 37 112,912 12,591 11% 2,347 NHS Redbridge CCG 40 108,206 11,590 11% 1,892 NHS West London CCG 41 99,861 11,482 11% 2,011 NHS Dartford, Gravesham and Swanley CCG 2 3,514 380 11% 60 NHS Knowsley CCG 25 74,936 7,697 10% 1,454 NHS South Sefton CCG 28 50,837 4,974 10% 1,024 NHS Merton CCG 20 71,363 6,999 10% 916 NHS Waltham Forest CCG 40 105,773 10,138 10% 894 NHS City and Hackney CCG 40 130,341 11,775 9% 1,907All rights reserved for this news site dailymail and under his responsibility