The GPs in and around Watford seeing the most and fewest patients face-to-face have been revealed.

NHS Digital published its first set of Appointments in General Practice monthly data (for October 2022) earlier this week.

The government argues publishing this data on an individual practice level will make patients more informed when deciding where to be seen, but some medical leaders have criticised the list for lacking important nuance and demoralising struggling doctors.

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Attenborough Surgery, which has branches in London Road, Harrow Way, Tolpits Lane, and Bushey Mill Lane, carried out the most face-to-face appointments in the area.

Its patients were reportedly seen 15,850 times in October, as well as carrying out 1,139 telephone appointments and 35 home visits.

The Elms Surgery, in The Avenue, saw the fewest people face-to-face (1,377), with 1,528 telephone appointments and no home visits. It was the only Watford GP to see more patients via phone than in person.

Watford Health Centre, in Upton Road, carried out 4,583 face-to-face appointments but did almost as many on the phone at 4,200, the most of the local practices in the table below. It did no home visits. 

The Colne Practice, in Uxbridge Road, managed the most home visits with 155 while seeing patients face-to-face 4,038 times, and over the phone 1,304 times.

Pathfinder Practice, in Oxhey Drive, carried out the least phone appintments at just nine, while seeing 1,630 patients face-to-face and doing 110 home visits.

Director of primary care at the NHS Confederation Ruth Rankine said: “Greater transparency through this new data is an important step, providing that it is considered alongside these external pressures and the fact that the number of appointments does not represent everything that primary care delivers for its local communities."

According to the BMA, individual GPs in England are seeing 37 patients per day on average.

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