Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will take steps to help ensure that in-person GP consultations are the default format offered by practices.

The Department does not plan to make in person consultations the default format because general practitioners (GP) practices should be determining the most appropriate appointment mode for their patients based on clinical needs and patients’ preferences and access needs.

NHS England guidance is clear that GP practices must provide face-to-face appointments, alongside remote consultations and should respect preferences for face-to-face care unless there are good clinical reasons to the contrary. Alongside face-to-face appointments, remote consultations can provide additional choice, flexibility and convenience for patients. Practices should offer a range of access routes, and patients unable to access remote general practice consultations for any reason should be offered an alternative appointment mode. We expect patients to experience the same high quality of care regardless of how they access their GP surgery.