GPS must allow patients to book appointment over the phone

Victory for elderly against online-only practices as NHS says walk-in services must be as good as web

GP practices will be ordered to allow patients to book an appointment over the phone under new NHS contracts for surgeries. Family doctors will not be allowed to operate systems that force patients to book online, locking out those who cannot navigate the technology.

Under the terms of the NHS 2024/25 contract, practices will be told that they need to give the same level of service to anyone trying to make an appointment – whether they walk in, phone or use online services. The contract, which comes into force in April, instructs all GP practices to ensure patients can access care, whether or not they can use the internet.

Practices are instructed to implement a “consistent approach to care navigation and triage so there is parity between online, face to face and telephone access, including collection of structured information for walk-in and telephone requests.” A survey in November by Silver Voices, a campaign group for the elderly, found one in six pensioners’ practices would not accept phone calls to make an appointment. It also found eight in 10 elderly patients said they had been forced into phone appointments when they wanted to see a doctor in person.

The move follows a long campaign by the patients’ group, which recently sent health officials a list of 30 surgeries that only allowed online booking. Several have since amended their systems, though many that now take calls say they will only accept them from patients with no internet access.

Dennis Reed, from Silver Voices, said: “The amended GP contract which makes clear that there must be parity between the three ways of making an appointment with a doctor, is a clear victory for our campaign. The days of older people being told that they must get on a computer at the library if they want to see a doctor must end.”

The contract, which will be imposed on GPS, also says practices should do more to ensure patients see their regular doctor. The terms set out attempts to reduce bureaucracy, with fewer targets for family doctors to hit, and more flexibility about how staff and resources are deployed.