House of Commons Library research commissioned by the Liberal Democrats shows that 22.4 million people tried to contact their GP in the previous 28 days. Of these, 5.2 million were unable to get through to their GP on the day that they called, meaning nearly one in four people who wanted to get through to their GP could not.

In addition, the research finds a further 1.2 million people were unsuccessful in contacting their GP at all in the past month.

The Liberal Democrats are calling for GPs to be exempt from the employers National Insurance rise, as well as social care providers.

Helen Morgan, Liberal Democrat Health and Social Care spokesperson, said: ‘This is a tax on community care that will hit GPs, dentists and care homes, making it even harder for them to employ enough staff and deliver the care that local people desperately need.

‘Some risk even being forced to close altogether, leaving local patients to pay the price.

‘If this new government is to avoid the disastrous mistakes the Conservatives made in office, they must exempt GPs and other health and care providers from this tax rise.'