The number of four-week waits for a GP appointment rose by 49% in Somerset last year, new research commissioned by the Liberal Democrats has revealed.

The House of Commons Library analysis looks at NHS data measuring the time between when a GP appointment was booked and when it took place, broken down by local NHS areas across England.

Every single local area in the country saw a rise in 4-week GP waits in 2023 compared to the previous year. Somerton and Frome MP Sarah Dyke has claimed that the Government has "failed to get a grip on the GP crisis" and is leaving patients in limbo.

Liberal Democrat MPs are calling for patients to be given a legal right to see their GP within seven days or 24-hours if in urgent need. This comes as a survey by the King's Fund this week found only a third of people are satisfied with GP services, the lowest since records began in 1983. Since 2019, satisfaction with GP services has fallen by 34%.

Sarah Dyke, Liberal Democrat MP for Somerton and Frome, said: "This Conservative Government has failed to get a grip on the GP crisis affecting Somerton and Frome and patients are suffering as a result. Far too many people are being left in limbo, waiting for weeks on end to secure an appointment with their GP.

"The Liberal Democrats are calling for a legal right for patients to get a GP appointment within seven days, or within 24 hours if they're in urgent need."

The data from the House of Commons Library can be found here. The NHS data measures the time between when the appointment was booked and when it took place.