Patients have been avoiding making a GP appointment during the pandemic over fears of being a burden on the NHS, a survey revealed. Between January and March, 10,250 patients in the Bath & North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire Clinical Commissioning Group area who had needed GP appointments over the last 12 months were asked if they had avoided booking them, and the reasons why. Of these patients, 2,119 – 21 per cent – said they put off seeing their GP because they did not want to place a burden on the NHS – the most common reason given. Meanwhile, 14 per cent said they did not make an appointment as they were worried about the risk of catching Covid-19, and 9 per cent because it was too difficult.