Are GPs as busy as they keep telling us they are?

Yes, they are.
GPS do home visits out of surgery hours, telephone consultations and a mountain of the dreaded paperwork.

Some enlightened practices now have a time dedicated to telephone consultations rather than each go trying to squeeze them in between face-to-face consultations; maybe you were there while this was happening?

It would be easier to get into Fort Knox than our surgery. They took on a man as finance manager who had been in hospital management and will do anything to prevent patient access, unless it’s something that gets extra payments. He actually put out a message that the reception staff had been on a two week course and must now be regarded as equivalent to doctors!! It got taken down quite quickly!
He also installed a switchboard that cuts off
after 20 rings do that you have to redial. It probably saved my life ironically, as I thought I had a severe stomach bug, but when I gave up and rang 111 they sent an ambulance straight out. I was dangerously ill with pancreatitis.

Both the large waiting rooms in my surgery are almost empty and the few people in there are usually waiting to see a nurse.

I feel its such a waste to be heating and running such a large practice to have it almost empty. They appear to be doing flu jabs but not Covid.