Interesting article by Which? Magazine about the "record delays for getting NHS GP appointments". 

There is a national shortage of GPs; the workforce decreased by 4% between 2017 and 2022, while the patient population has only grown. 

In September, 400,000 people were waiting more than a year for operations, compared to just 1,600 before Covid-19. The knock-on effect of this vast backlog sees patients return to their GPs to manage their conditions while they wait.

https://www.which.co.uk/news/article/why-is-it-so-hard-to-get-a-gp-appointment-agsTT2p0SeE3