Average doctor’s appointment lasts five minutes, storing up serious problems for the future, new studies show

By Barbara Terrio Last updated Apr 25, 2023

More than 51 million GP appointments lasted five minutes or less last year as patients were “rushed” out the door, official figures from the UK suggest.

Patients are typically offered ten-minute consultations but more than one in six, just over 17 per cent, were ended after less than half that time.

Campaigners warn that cutting visits short risks missing symptoms and storing up serious problems for the future.

The House of Commons Library, in the UK Parliament, analysed NHS (National Health Service) data on in-person and remote consultations from March 2022, when the figures were first published, to February 2023.

The study was commissioned by the UK’s Liberal Democrats.

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British Health spokesman Daisy Cooper MP said: “People are waiting weeks to get an appointment only to be rushed through in a matter of minutes.”

The Department of Health in the UK said the number of GPs is being raised to ensure good care.

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