MP for Cheltenham, Max Wilkinson, has called for an 'emergency package' to save the family doctor.

It comes after new research revealed that, since January, 335,948 appointments in Gloucestershire have had waits of over 28 days, up from 102,977 at the same point five years ago - an increase of 226%.

Local waits of over two weeks have increased from 317,466 in 2020 to 837,360 this year - an increase of 164%.

The Liberal Democrat MP has called for an emergency package to end the crisis, and for the government to deliver a new right to a GP appointment within seven days, or 24 hours if urgent, by recruiting thousands of extra doctors.

The emergency measures would include a strategic fund to reopen surgeries, dedicated local initiatives to ensure nowhere becomes a 'GP desert', and the introduction of a 24/7 GP booking system to end the '8am scramble', with 111 call handlers trained to become GP receptionists.

The House of Commons Library research, commissioned by the Liberal Democrats, found that there has been a 50% increase in England in patients waiting over 14 days for a GP appointment since the same period in 2020, rising from 19.7 million to 43 million appointments.

And there has been a 67% increase across England for patients waiting more than 28 days - from 5.8 million five years ago to 12.9 million today.

Fixing the local NHS has been a day-one priority for Max since being elected as Cheltenham's MP. He has been campaigning for growth in GP services in Cheltenham to match the growth of the town.

Max Wilkinson said: "Patients here in Cheltenham are finding it really difficult to get a GP appointment and I am deeply appalled by the fact that they are having to wait such a long time to see their doctor. The Conservatives completely failed our NHS, but Labour are just not providing any real answers to this ever-growing crisis.

"Together with Liberal Democrat colleagues, I am calling for an emergency package to save our GP services: with a dedicated fund to reopen surgeries, a 24/7 booking system via 111 and a recruitment and retention drive to secure thousands of extra family doctors.

"The government should deliver a right for every patient to be seen within seven days or 24 hours if urgent, so that no one is denied care when they need it."