THREE-quarters of people were seen face-to-face at GP surgeries in Malvern in October according to the latest figures.

New data published by the NHS for the first time shows the different waiting times for both GPs and nurses across Malvern as well as the number of face-to-face and telephone appointments.

Of the surgeries in Malvern, 99 per cent of appointments at Whiteacres Medical Centre in Maple Road were done face-to-face in October compared to 80 per cent at St Saviour’s Surgery in Merick Road.

Just over two-thirds of appointments at New Court Surgery were face-to-face in October and 63 per cent of people were seen in person at Malvern Health Centre with the remaining spoken to over the phone.

Government ministers have claimed the numbers have been made available to help patients make “more informed choices” about GP surgeries but some health bosses in Worcestershire warned that the figures ‘don’t accurately reflect reality.’

There were more than 13,700 appointments made in Malvern in October with 65 per cent of people seen on the same day and three-quarters seen within a week.

Figures showed that more than 1,000 people in Malvern had to wait a month or longer to see a GP in October.

Whiteacres Medical Centre saw the most GP appointments in the month at nearly 5,000 with more than half of the people seen on the same day.

A total of 893 people had to wait more than a month to be seen by a GP according to the NHS figures – the most in Malvern.

Almost three-quarters of people were seen by a GP within a week at Whiteacres Medical Centre.

At just over 71 per cent, Malvern Health Centre saw the most people on the same day they booked an appointment closely followed by just under 70 per cent at New Court Surgery. Almost 95 per cent of people were seen within a week at Malvern Health Centre and three quarters were seen within seven days at St Saviour’s Surgery.

Just under half of the people booking an appointment at St Saviour’s Surgery were seen on the same day but 85 per cent were seen within a week.