Doctor says new online GP bookings could 'snowball'

Concerns were being raised about the government's new initiative to bring GP booking appointments online

A doctor says she is worried new online GP appointments could stretch practices too far.

From Wednesday, every surgery in England has to offer online bookings throughout the day, as opposed to making an appointment by phone in the morning, which the government hoped would reduce the "8am scramble".

Dr Caroline Delves, vice chairwoman of the Norfolk & Waveney Local Medical Committee, said her practice already has online booking but "what's new is that we aren't able to switch it off when we've reached capacity and what causes the 8am scramble is the capacity that we have".

NHS England said online appointments would help free up reception staff to answer phones for people not booking online.

Surgeries will have to provide the bookings service from 08:00 to 18:30, Monday to Friday.

Dr Delves said surgeries would not be able to say when they had reached capacity on the number of available appointments.

"If we have 200 appointments - when they are gone they are gone," she said.

"What surprises me is that people seem to understand this with Glastonbury tickets, but not when it's general practice.

"I have spoken to multiple practices that are completely overwhelmed.

"I think that will worsen as this becomes known about... it will snowball."

NHS England data from early 2024 shows that 5,967 practices, which is over 96%, had an online consultation system, with 5.1 million online submissions in August.

Shortages of doctors mean the average GP in England has to care for 17% more patients than nine years ago according to BBC analysis from last year.

It means for every permanent GP there are more than 2,300 patients - a jump of nearly 350 since 2015, helping explain why access to general practice has been worsening and patient satisfaction declining.

'Mixed' access

Alex Stewart, chief executive of the patient group Healthwatch Norfolk, said: "Once the system beds down, there is an opportunity for it to be a very useful addition to the pick and mix of services that GP practices can offer.

"[However], there will be practices who find it very difficult to staff it."

He said some patients were right to express their concerns and the new system might mean some people "slip through the cracks".

"It will definitely suit some people but won't suit others," he said

"People's ability to access digital services is mixed and that is what we need to be mindful of.

"There are a lot of young people who say we want to speak face to face, and we don't want stuff online."

Dr Amanda Doyle, of NHS England, said: "This step will help modernise general practice by making online access as easy as calling or walking in to your practice, ensuring the phone lines are available for those who need them most and making it easier for practices to triage patients based on clinical need."