A clip of a 2005 Question Time special has resurfaced on social media – and people can’t over some of the issues that had people riled.
Leaders from all political parties fielded questions in front of a live BBC audience ahead of the 2005 general election, which eventually handed Labour a third term in office.
One clip which has been making the rounds on social media shows audience members bemoaning being given doctors’ appointments sooner than they needed owing to Labour efforts to get people seen as soon as possible.
It’s a far cry from the situation today, where many struggle to get a GP appointment at all.
A major new poll of patients in England shows that one in 20 people who call their GP for help are told to call back on another day, which more than one in ten were told they would need to wait for more than two weeks for care.
It comes as footage showing patients queuing ‘around the block’ for GP care sparked outrage on social media, with shadow health secretary Wes Streeting joining disgruntled voices.
He said: “What a damning indictment on 14 years of Conservative Government, that patients are literally queueing around the block to see a GP.
“The Conservatives have cut 2,000 GPs since 2015, leaving millions unable to get an appointment at all. The longer the Conservatives are in office, the longer patients wait.
“Labour will fix the front door of the NHS with investment and reform. We will train thousands more GPs and cut the red tape that ties up their time, so patients can easily book appointments with their family doctor.”
