Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to publish proposals on access to primary care for patients without the means of digital communication.

We recognise that not all patients are able or wish to use online services. That is why the GP Contract is clear that that patients must always have the option to contact their practice by telephone or attend in person. Online tools should always be offered in addition to existing access routes, not as a replacement for them.

In July 2023, NHS England published guidance to support primary care networks in reducing digital exclusion. This guidance reinforces these requirements and provides further practical advice, with further information available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/supporting-digital-inclusion-in-general-practice-10-top-tips/

Over 73% of people find it easy to contact their general practice. This has shown a significant improvement of 12.2 percentage points since July 2024, when the figure was 60.9%.