GP appointments

SIR – Thérèse Coffey, the Health Secretary, says I will be guaranteed a GP appointment within a fortnight if my care needs are non-urgent (report, September 22), with same-day slots for the most urgent cases. But who decides whether it is urgent or not? Me? Or the receptionist?

Roy Corlett

Southport, Lancashire

SIR – I am thrilled that I will be able to see a GP within two weeks. One slight snag: our surgery is about to close, as one of the GPs is retiring early due to their own stress and health issues.

I have also been told I will have to wait for other “urgent” referrals: 20 months to see a neurologist; an unknown time for an orthopaedic consultant; and a three-month wait for spinal physiotherapy, which was requested in November 2021. I am also scheduled for a shoulder replacement surgery in January.

At this rate I may not be around to worry about any of them. That will save the NHS some money at least.

E J Roche

Milford Haven, Pembrokeshire

SIR – We have a growing crisis in primary care with challenges in recruiting full-time GPs. Other countries do not have the GP stage, but instead have direct access to local clinics and clinical specialities.

I am frequently referred to clinical services in Newark, Mansfield or Nottingham for tests and treatment. Why can I not go direct, without the two to six-week delay?

Guy Kenyon

Newark, Nottinghamshire