Over three quarters of people in Northern Ireland are worried about access to GP appointments, a new survey has found.
Data from CompareNI.com shows that the majority of people in Northern Ireland are also dissatisfied with their local GP services.
It comes as Northern Ireland's health and social care system continues to face serious issues.
Read more: Leading GP's warning amid 'mass exodus' of NI junior doctors and consultants
It was recently announced that 13 GP practices here have decided to hand their contracts back in the past year resulting in the loss of around 70 doctors. Meanwhile a further 30 practices are reported to be on the brink of doing the same.
The survey found that 72% of people were not satisfied with their local GP waiting times. In addition to this, 76% stated that they had been worried about not being able to access a GP appointment in the last year.
In addition, nearly half of respondents (47%) were not able to get a routine appointment when needed and 43% were not able to get an emergency appointment.
To book an emergency appointment over the phone, 32% of people said they would have to ring on average more than 30 times to get through to a receptionist.
Also, 20% said they would normally have to queue for over 30 minutes to book an emergency appointment with a further 11% waiting over an hour. Meanwhile 85% said they thought it was harder to book an appointment after the pandemic than it was before.
The survey comes just days after it emerged that more people than ever in Northern Ireland are having to pay for private healthcare.
Dr Ursula Mason, chair of the Royal College of GPs in Northern Ireland, told Belfast Live: “This survey is concerning, but unfortunately not surprising given that general practice in Northern Ireland is in crisis and we have been warning that we face total destabilisation if action is not taken.
“Despite the best efforts of GPs and practice teams, the system is overwhelmed and in many cases, patients are struggling to get access to the care they deserve. It is also extremely frustrating that we have no functioning government at Stormont to deliver solutions to the challenges we face.”
Ian Wilson, Managing Director at CompareNI.com said: “It is disappointing to see how dissatisfied people in Northern Ireland are with their local GP services and how inaccessible both routine and emergency appointments have become.
“In light of this many people are choosing to take out health insurance to avoid those long waiting times and alleviate worry around accessing medical appointments.
“Nobody wants to pay extra for their health care, especially at a time when the cost of living is so high, but a lot of people see it as the only alternative when waiting times are so severe and medical appointments are hard to get.
“If people are opting for health insurance, it is important to compare the different providers and plans available so that they get the best cover to suit their individual health needs at the most competitive price.”
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