Letter: Show support for your Whitby area GP surgeries

Much of this has been aggravated by the campaign of popular newspapers for GPs to ‘get back’ to face-to face appointments.

The truth is that, throughout the pandemic, face-to-face appointments continued for those patients who needed them.

It is true that telephone appointments have replaced many in-person appointments, but for many patients, especially young people who have to work, these are essential.

GPs and nurse practitioners are mostly able to identify from these conversations when a patient needs to come into the surgery.

With a greatly reduced number of GPs since the Conservatives came to power over 11 years ago, and with a growing number of elderly patients with complex health conditions, the job has become more pressured and many can cope only by working three days a week, though this still equates to around 40 hours, with at least two of our local surgeries also spending other days training medical students.

Our GPs, nurses and practice managers responded magnificently to the Covid crisis, stepping up and adding to their already heavy workload by organising and delivering the vaccines.

Did you go out and clap for the NHS?

Please stop moaning and support your local GP surgeries, especially the receptionists, who are trying to get you to the person best able to support your health needs.

Liz Atkinson

Iburndale Lane, Sleights