More people than ever using internet instead of phone to contact GPs
The Government has forced all GP practices in England to offer online booking systems during the core hours of 8.30am to 6pm, Monday to Friday
A higher proportion of people are now contacting their GP surgery online than on the phone, data suggests.
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Office for National Statistics (ONS) health experience survey data for England covering September 16 to October 8 shows that 14.6 per cent of people last contacted their GP in person, 40.5 per cent did so on the phone and 43.3 per cent did so online.
In the previous month, covering August 19 to September 10, some 14.7 per cent of people last contacted their GP surgery in person, 41.3 per cent did so on the phone and 42.3 per cent did so online.
Online contact includes through the GP practice website or via an app, including the NHS App.
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From October 1, the Government has forced all GP practices in England to offer online booking systems during the core hours of 8.30am to 6pm, Monday to Friday.
According to the Department of Health, nearly all GP practices (98.7 per cent) across England have now rolled out these online consultation requests.
It added that a record eight million online requests were submitted by patients in October – up a fifth on the previous month and an increase of two thirds on last year.
The British Medical Association (BMA) is in formal dispute with the Government over the changes, which it says put patients at risk.
Health Secretary Wes Streeting said: “In the 21st century, patients expect to be able to manage healthcare at their fingertips, and so they should.
“We organise so much of our lives online, there’s no reason the NHS should be any different.
“I want to thank GPs and their teams for rolling this out.
“Eight million patients used online access in October alone, taking advantage of the flexibility and convenience.
“These numbers show there was huge appetite from patients and a can-do attitude from GPs.
“We promised to end the 8am scramble, and this is a massive step towards that ambition.
“After more than a decade of decline, we are bringing our analogue NHS into the digital age.”
Dr Amanda Doyle, NHS England national director for primary care and community services, said: “We are making it easier than ever for people to get the care they need from their GP team.
“More than eight million patients used online consultation services last month alone, a clear sign that this is what many people want and it helps keep phone lines free for those who prefer to call.”
Dr David Wrigley, deputy chair of the BMA’s General Practice Committee for England, said: “We are not standing in the way of progress, but it is standing up for patient safety, as many GP practices are being deluged with online requests, and the software simply does not filter out routine from urgent requests.
“GPs will embrace new technology, but only when it is safe to do so and with nearly all GP practices now offering online access for patients, the Government has merely increased the potential for patient safety issues to arise.
“Without appropriate safeguards, this Government is ignoring the very real concerns that GPs have about this system, and it is putting patients at risk of harm.”
Chris McCann, deputy chief executive of Healthwatch England, added: “The challenge now is consistency and clear communication.
“Despite new rules for GP practices introduced in October, some patients have still not been informed about the changes. People also need to know that online booking isn’t for emergencies.
“Patients are still reporting problems, such as practices restricting online booking to mornings, or those who are less digitally literate finding the system hard to use."