Just when you thought there was nothing more they could do to alienate patients… GPs are now banning us from making appointments by phone
Patients are being told they can no longer visit their GP or even call to make an appointment, a move that has raised concerns about access to essential healthcare and appears to be in breach of NHS rules.
Practices are moving away from traditional ways of connecting with doctors, with patients having to contact them online instead.
Even anyone with an urgent problem – or parents worried about a sick child – must submit a detailed request form and then wait up to 24 hours for a response. Doctors backing the change say they are dealing with more patients than ever and urge digital systems to make it easier to identify and prioritize the most important cases.
But NHS England has warned that GPs are contractually obliged to allow patients to walk in directly or book appointments over the phone – and could face action if they fail to do so.
Campaigners are concerned that patients – especially older ones – are missing out on important consultations because they find sophisticated booking systems difficult to use.
Several Daily Mail readers shared messages from their GP practices stating that walk-ins and telephone calls were no longer acceptable ways to book appointments
NHS England has warned that GPs are contractually obliged to allow patients to make walk-in and telephone appointments
Last month, our GP Dr Ellie Cannon said she had heard ‘worrying’ stories from friends about practices that were no longer taking phone calls and forcing people to email if they wanted an appointment. She said her practice would never do this and said it was almost incomprehensible that a good GP practice would stop patients from making appointments by phone.
In response, we received a flood of letters from readers indicating that their surgeries made it difficult to get an appointment.
Carole Nicholls, 67, from Hertfordshire, said booking a visit to her GP is now so complicated she has switched to calling the NHS 111 helpline to speak to an advisor, who can then book a time slot with her own doctor.
Several readers shared messages from their GP practices stating that it was no longer acceptable to simply drop in or call for an appointment.
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Graham Moore, 71, from Shropshire, who has diabetes, arthritis and a heart condition, was told to ‘fill in an online form to contact the practice rather than ring or come to reception to make an appointment’. He worries that if he is unwell he will struggle to fill in an online form accurately – and could even miss crucial details.
“As an older person with health conditions, it’s vital to have reasonable access to GP services,” he said. “I can’t believe how difficult they make it to get an appointment.”
And in one particularly shocking case, a reader reported seeing an elderly man being led out of their surgery – in tears – after the receptionist refused to let him book an appointment in person, despite him saying he was struggling with the internet. Last night, Rachel Power, Chief Executive of the Patients Association, said: ‘We have raised concerns with NHS England about some GP practices insisting that appointments can only be booked online. This should not be happening – the GP contract makes it clear that patients should be able to book appointments over the phone, online or by popping into the surgery.’
For more than a decade, GPs have been using online bookings – alongside walk-ins and phone calls – to book appointments. Yet experts believe the rise of online-only booking systems began during the pandemic and has become increasingly common as GPs grapple with a growing workload.
To help stop the spread of Covid, in 2020 the NHS encouraged doctors to limit the number of walk-ins by introducing a system called Total Triage, which involves each patient providing the practice with information about their problem before booking an appointment.
In theory this can be done by telephone with the receptionist, but many practices have set up online systems so that patients can write down their complaints in detail.
This system reduced the workload of receptionists and has been maintained largely because many doctors believe it ensures that patients who need an appointment most are seen first and discourages others from booking unnecessary visits. For example, receiving test results and sick notes is now mostly done online, rather than by visiting a GP.
Patients who are better suited for treatment by another staff member, such as a physiotherapist, can also be referred directly without having to consult a doctor.
The need to free up GPs’ time is clear. There are around 27,000 full-time GPs in England, almost 2,000 fewer than a decade ago, according to the British Medical Association. Meanwhile, the number of NHS patients has risen by around six million over the same period – with 1.4 million GP appointments every working day.
Last month, GPs announced they would take strike action – including cutting their working hours – over a contract dispute that is partly linked to their increasing workload. Unsurprisingly, public satisfaction with GPs is at an all-time low, with many saying they have given up seeing their doctor altogether, according to the GP Patient Survey.
Dame Prof Clare Gerada, a London GP and former chair of the Royal College of GPs, says greater use of digital technology is crucial for patients and doctors. ‘GPs who are going digital first are not being lazy, they are just trying to prioritise their activities,’ she says. ‘Most patients appreciate having digital tools to contact their GP.’
She adds that there should always be an option for people who can’t use digital technology. ‘If someone comes in with an emergency, like a sick child, they should be able to book an appointment at the front desk. It would be unacceptable to turn them away and ask them to use the website. There should also be options for people who don’t have access to a computer or smartphone or just aren’t tech savvy. Patients should absolutely be able to walk in or call to book an appointment.’
An NHS spokesperson said: ‘Practices are contractually obliged to offer patients the option of walking in, calling or booking an appointment online. Where this is not possible, local regulators should support practices in addressing this access issue.’