OUR readers have reacted to news that people have been struggling to get an appointment with their GP recently.

Doctor Abdul Mannan, of Hazelvalley Family Practice in Rossendale, said overworked doctors and systemic issues heightened by the pandemic are to blame for the lack of appointments.

Our readers have been giving their views on the article. 

Sister Wendy said: "Been trying to see my GP since August. Just get a phone call and told to send a pic in three times then referred to a consultant appointment at the end November!"

Khalid said: "I believe that in this age of digital technology the GP Surgery System should be abolished and all GPs should work in hospitals as other doctors do. Patient info should be utilised or transferred from GP surgeries to nationwide hospitals. It would save many billions of pounds per annum and patient care will improve."

Tilly Lamp said: "Where is all the money Boris said would be ploughed into the NHS after Brexit, doesn't appear to be the case."

Judith Addison said: "I'm grateful to this GP for his honesty in explaining the situation but I feel it isn't much consolation to those who've lost family and friends to Covid and other medical conditions, basically because they couldn't get a GP appointment promptly or could only get a "telephone consult" when they needed to be seen face-to-face.

"I myself (early 70s) have suffered because of this but thankfully in my case the two medical conditions weren't "life-threatening".

"As a borough councillor in Hyndburn I'm concerned to see that some GP practices (including my own) are still not offering face-to-face appointments and I do wonder how many more people will die or will suffer unnecessarily through problems in accessing their GPs."