NEW data has revealed the length of time it took to receive an appointment at GP practices in St Helens in last month.

As a way to analyse performances of GP practices and inform users about their activity and usage, the government now publishes data on GP practices across the country each month.

This includes information about the type of appointments made that month, the length of time it took to receive an appointment, and the number of appointments taken by GPs or other practice staff.

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With many difficulties facing the health sector in recent years, health bosses have made changes to the way that they operate to try and manage the backlog of patients effectively.

This means that while GP practices still see patients face to face, they can also complete assessments online and over the phone, and direct people to the most appropriate health service such as pharmacists or physiotherapists.

In booking an appointment, there are several factors that drive the time it takes to see a healthcare professional, including the appointments availabile at the practice, patient availability, the urgency of the appointment, and GP advice.

While certain practices are inevitably busier and have a larger catchment area than others, these are the figures for the length of time it took between booking and having an appointment across St Helens Central, South, North, and Newton and Haydock wards in January.

This includes appointments both with a GP and other medical practice staff.

Length of time for appointments in St Helens:

  • Atlas Medical Centre - 2,406 appointments on the same day of booking, 455 (within 1 day), 927 (between 2 and 7 days), 607 (between 8 and 14 days), 560 (between 15 and 21 days), 383 (between 22 and 28 days), 95 (more than 28 days)
  • Berrymead Family Medical Centre - 1,439 (same day), 217 (1 day), 538 (2 to 7 days), 358 (8 to 14 days), 144 (15 and 21 days), 127 (22 to 28 days), 121 (more than 28 days)
  • Bethany Medical Centre - 1,459 (same day), 348 (1 day), 491 (2 to 7 days), 333 (8 to 14 days), 28 (15 and 21 days), 3 (22 to 28 days), 1 (more than 28 days)
  • Billinge Medical Centre - 1,456 (same day), 408 (1 day), 384 (2 to 7 days), 390 (8 to 14 days), 402 (15 and 21 days), 186 (22 to 28 days), 64 (more than 28 days)
  • The Bowery Medical Centre - 877 (same day), 155 (1 day), 437 (2 to 7 days), 302 (8 to 14 days), 173 (15 and 21 days), 45 (22 to 28 days), 22 (more than 28 days)
  • Central Surgery - 1,071 (same day), 302 (1 day), 643 (2 to 7 days), 453 (8 to 14 days), 282 (15 and 21 days), 255 (22 to 28 days), 148 (more than 28 days)
  • The Crossroads Surgery - 311 (same day), 228 (1 day), 430 (2 to 7 days), 141 (8 to 14 days), 71 (15 and 21 days), 23 (22 to 28 days), 2 (more than 28 days)
  • Dr Rahil's Surgery - 213 (same day), 49 (1 day), 350 (2 to 7 days), 203 (8 to 14 days), 102 (15 and 21 days), 32 (22 to 28 days), 7 (more than 28 days)
  • Eccleston Medical Centre - 893 (same day), 152 (1 day), 372 (2 to 7 days), 299 (8 to 14 days), 195 (15 and 21 days), 150 (22 to 28 days), 11 (more than 28 days)
  • Four Acre Health Centre - 1,747 (same day), 274 (1 day), 812 (2 to 7 days), 469 (8 to 14 days), 130 (15 and 21 days), 18 (22 to 28 days), 30 (more than 28 days)
  • Garswood Surgery - 1,180 (same day), 210 (1 day), 326 (2 to 7 days), 156 (8 to 14 days), 390 (15 and 21 days), 411 (22 to 28 days), 268 (more than 28 days)
  • Hall Street Medical Centre - 863 (same day), 130 (1 day), 452 (2 to 7 days), 303 (8 to 14 days), 184 (15 and 21 days), 250 (22 to 28 days), 180 (more than 28 days)
  • Haydock Medical Centre -  4,773 (same day), 875 (1 day), 1,582 (2 to 7 days), 560 (8 to 14 days), 298 (15 and 21 days), 160 (22 to 28 days), 45 (more than 28 days)
  • Kenneth Macrae Medical Centre - 782 (same day), 210 (1 day), 330 (2 to 7 days), 141 (8 to 14 days), 145 (15 and 21 days), 189 (22 to 28 days), 36 (more than 28 days)
  • Lingholme Health Centre - 237 (same day), 149 (1 day), 333 (2 to 7 days), 204 (8 to 14 days), 23 (15 and 21 days), 9 (22 to 28 days), 3 (more than 28 days)
  • Longton Medical Centre - 1,026 (same day), 244 (1 day), 370 (2 to 7 days), 380 (8 to 14 days), 100 (15 and 21 days), 6 (22 to 28 days), 1 (more than 28 days)
  • Marshalls Cross Medical Centre - 1,950 (same day), 720 (1 day), 921 (2 to 7 days), 423 (8 to 14 days), 141 (15 and 21 days), 107 (22 to 28 days), 117 (more than 28 days)
  • Mill Street Medical Centre - 3,052 (same day), 524 (1 day), 1,003 (2 to 7 days), 450 (8 to 14 days), 158 (15 and 21 days), 45 (22 to 28 days), 15 (more than 28 days)
  • Newholme Surgery - 474 (same day), 102 (1 day), 277 (2 to 7 days), 80 (8 to 14 days), 49 (15 and 21 days), 46 (22 to 28 days), 16 (more than 28 days)
  • Newton Community Hospital Practice - 905 (same day), 153 (1 day), 247 (2 to 7 days), 180 (8 to 14 days), 121 (15 and 21 days), 108 (22 to 28 days), 172 (more than 28 days)
  • Newton Medical Centre - 782 (same day), 204 (1 day), 558 (2 to 7 days), 246 (8 to 14 days), 131 (15 and 21 days), 26 (22 to 28 days), 32 (more than 28 days)
  • Ormskirk House Surgery - 1,036 (same day), 241 (1 day), 750 (2 to 7 days), 320 (8 to 14 days), 75 (15 and 21 days), 24 (22 to 28 days), 34 (more than 28 days)
  • Parkfield Surgery - 306 (same day), 113 (1 day), 311 (2 to 7 days), 209 (8 to 14 days), 49 (15 and 21 days), 23 (22 to 28 days), 8 (more than 28 days)
  • Patterdale Lodge Medical Centre - 1,912 (same day), 405 (1 day), 643 (2 to 7 days), 332 (8 to 14 days), 251 (15 and 21 days), 377 (22 to 28 days), 159 (more than 28 days)
  • Phoenix Medical Centre - 913 (same day), 253 (1 day), 426 (2 to 7 days), 131 (8 to 14 days), 73 (15 and 21 days), 70 (22 to 28 days), 23 (more than 28 days)
  • Rainbow Medical Centre - 2,553 (same day), 451 (1 day), 876 (2 to 7 days), 381 (8 to 14 days), 409 (15 and 21 days), 372 (22 to 28 days), 469 (more than 28 days)
  • Rainford Health Centre - 703 (same day), 362 (1 day), 664 (2 to 7 days), 279 (8 to 14 days), 133 (15 and 21 days), 63 (22 to 28 days), 113 (more than 28 days)
  • Rainhill Village Surgery - 1,080 (same day), 237 (1 day), 698 (2 to 7 days), 738 (8 to 14 days), 42 (15 and 21 days), 23 (22 to 28 days), 18 (more than 28 days)
  • The Spinney Medical Centre - 1,789 (same day), 485 (1 day), 638 (2 to 7 days), 344 (8 to 14 days), 364 (15 and 21 days), 206 (22 to 28 days), 249 (more than 28 days)
  • Vista Road Surgery - 1,093 (same day), 536 (1 day), 812 (2 to 7 days), 340 (8 to 14 days), 245 (15 and 21 days), 197 (22 to 28 days), 102 (more than 28 days)
  • Windemere Medical Centre - 565 (same day), 191 (1 day), 610 (2 to 7 days), 213 (8 to 14 days), 48 (15 and 21 days), 22 (22 to 28 days), 11 (more than 28 days)