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A&Es taking on 6 million more due to GP delays

A&E DEPARTMENTS already at breaking point are having to cope with another six million people a year because of delays in getting GP appointments, researchers warned yesterday.

Imperial College London experts said that more than a quarter of visits to English A&E departments could be down to difficulty getting a spot at a surgery.

Their study, based on the 2012-13 GP patient survey, showed that 1.67 per cent of people who tried and failed to get an appointment with a GP ended up going to A&E.

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