Survey reveals fear of contacting GPs to avoid overwhelming the NHS

As reported by The Independent, people are less likely to contact their GP after COVID so as not to overload them

A survey involving 2,000 adults revealed a worrying lack of health awareness in the general population.

“It’s important we all try to have a good understanding of what it means to be healthy,” says Dr. Chun Tang, medical director of private healthcare provider, Pall Mall Medical.

According to the results, one-third of the participants revealed that they did not contact their GP so as not to overburden the NHS since COVID.

The participants main worries in contacting the GP were as follows:

• 37% did not want to overwhelm the NHS.
• 32% did not want to be in the long waiting lists.
• 31% believed that their situation was not severe enough to warrant asking for professional advice.

The survey also revealed that women were more likely than men to call the GP for health reasons.

“It’s worrying so many people feel they aren’t able to reach out for professional advice when they could have a serious health issue,” added Dr. Tang.