MORE than 40,000 patients in Oxfordshire are waiting at least three weeks to see a GP, new figures reveal.

Doctors say it is important to treat patients early to 'avoid conditions getting worse'.

NHS Digital data shows that 40,450 people in the Oxfordshire Clinical Commissioning Group had to wait until at least 21 days to see a doctor after booking an appointment in October 2018.

That is 11 per cent of all patients.

Of them, 18,100 waited more than a month.

Waiting times worsened in comparison with November 2017, the earliest period for which data is available, when 10 per cent of patients waited for at least three weeks.

The Patients Association said the impact of the waits 'should not be understimated'.

Rachel Power, the charity's chief executive, said: "It can be incredibly stressful to face a long wait before getting to see a doctor, quite apart from prolonging the length of time someone has to live with the medical issue that is troubling them.

"All of this is a symptom of an NHS running at boiling point all year round."

From this month, Oxfordshire patients will be able to get an appointment with a doctor at the evening and weekend over winter following the launch of a new GP service this month.

As health chiefs look to take more pressure off the county's stretched A&E departments, GP access hubs will offer extended hours during which people can book a routine appointment to see a doctor or practice nurse.

Oxfordshire's winter director of health and care service, Tehmeena Ajmal, said the service is aimed at reducing the number of patients visiting A&E during one of the busiest times of year, while also creating more availability at GP surgeries during daytime hours.

Professor Helen Stokes-Lampard, chairwoman of the Royal College of GPs, said it was 'frustrating' that patients were having to wait too long to secure a GP appointment.

"We want to deliver timely care to patients, in the early stages of illness, to avoid conditions getting worse, when they can be both more distressing for patients, and more costly for the NHS," she said.

More than a third of patients in Oxfordshire CCG were able to see a GP the same day the appointment was made.

A Department of Health and Social Care spokeswoman said: "GPs work hard to provide high-quality care to their patients, with over a million appointments booked every weekday in October and 40 per cent being seen on the same day.

"We are also rolling out extended access hours across the country to ensure patients can find appointments in the evenings and at weekends, making it easier for people to see a doctor, nurse or other health professional."