The data, obtained from the House of Commons Library and commissioned by the Liberal Democrats, shows a significant increase from 2023, when 416,353 month-long waits were recorded — an 11% rise in just one year. In total, these delays accounted for 7.7% of all GP appointments in the county last year.
The situation is even more stark when looking at two-week waits. In 2024, West Sussex saw 1,308,167 GP appointments delayed by two weeks or more, up from 1.2 million in 2023 — a rise of 9%. These longer waits now represent nearly 22% of all appointments across the county.
Reacting to the figures, Alison Bennett, MP for Mid Sussex, said, “These figures paint a grim picture of the pressure on local health services and the real human cost behind the numbers.
“Behind these figures are individuals in our community who have had to wait in pain just to get the care they need, with potentially devastating consequences.
“It lays bare just how badly the Conservatives broke health services here in West Sussex through their unforgivable neglect.
John Milne, Lib Dem MP for Horsham continued:
“The healthcare situation in Horsham and across West Sussex has become unacceptable, with residents frequently waiting weeks for GP appointments.”
“The Labour government is demonstrating an inexcusable lack of urgency in addressing this crisis. Instead of taking decisive action, it continues to opt for multiple reviews while neglecting the need to improve social care.”
“Without urgent action, it will be impossible for people in West Sussex to swiftly see a GP when they need one.”
The Liberal Democrats are calling for a legal right for patients to see a GP within seven days, or within 24 hours for urgent cases, as part of a broader plan to ease the strain on primary care services across West Sussex.
The growing difficulty in accessing timely GP care is also having knock-on effects. National research by the Institute for Public Policy Research found that one in eight people who couldn’t get a GP appointment turned instead to A&E — putting further pressure on already stretched emergency departments.
West Sussex Lib Dem MPs have warned that without serious reform, delays will continue to harm residents across the county.
Jess Brown-Fuller, MP for Chichester explained: “We need to see a legal right for patients to see a GP within seven days, or 24 hours if it’s urgent.
Anything less will just prolong the misery for people in West Sussex who are already waiting far too long for the care they need”