22/01/2024
GP Practices: Name and Shame on Online Only Appointment Systems
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MEMBERS' BRIEFING 04/24
DOES YOUR GP PRACTICE REQUIRE AN ONLINE APPOINTMENT PROCESS?
Our “Elusive Family Doctor” survey last year found that 16% of GP practices were operating an online only request process for GP appointments, refusing to accept walk-in or telephone appointment requests. We have exposed that such practices are a breach of GP contracts and against NHS guidance, as well as blatant age discrimination. Over the Christmas period we have been in discussion with NHS England on the issue and have also approached the NHS in Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland.
NHS England has been very helpful so far. At our request they sent out a bulletin to GP practice managers on 11 January stating:
“All practices must ensure patients can request care in three ways: by phone, in person, and using online forms through practice websites (previously known as ‘online consultation requests’). A reminder that availability of all three routes supports inclusivity, as some patients may find it difficult using online forms and prefer to be able to phone or visit”.
Any complaints to practice managers in England should use this information. NHS England has also said that it is willing to pursue some examples of where this guidance is being disregarded (see below).
Responses from other UK nations have been mixed. In a helpful response from Belfast, it is confirmed that Northern Ireland practices must provide a range of options for contact. The Primary Care directorate there are not aware of any GP practices operating an online only appointment system. The Scottish Government, by contrast, has not been helpful at all. The Scottish Directorate for Primary Care states that they are unable to intervene in the appointment arrangements of individual practices, as this is the responsibility of Health Boards, and they make no comment on the suitability of online only systems. Despite an acknowledgement, the Welsh NHS has not yet made any substantive response.
We are particularly interested at this stage in GP practices using only online appointment systems and refusing to accept both walk-in and telephone requests. If your practice is operating such a system, please reply to this briefing and provide the name and address of the practice concerned. We will not of course mention your name in connection with this information. Any examples in England will be sent to NHS England for appropriate follow-up. Any examples from the other UK nations will be sent to the responsible bodies in those countries.
The use of online only GP appointment systems is highly discriminatory and it is clear that in some practices national guidelines are being flouted. We will try and stop the spread of such systems before they become the norm.
19 January 2024
SILVER VOICES
E-mail: [email protected]
