Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what progress he has made on GP online booking services.

We want to ensure general practice (GP) online booking services are available to those who need them. That’s why we have committed to implementing a modern appointment booking system, designed to eliminate the 8:00am rush for appointments. All practices in England are required to offer online and video consultation tools, secure electronic communication methods, and online facilities to provide and update personal information.

Subject to consultation with the British Medical Association, the Government proposes requiring GPs to be accessible to patients via electronic communications throughout core hours, as well as over the phone, helping more people book an appointment or speak to a GP, and supporting the Government’s aim to shift care from analogue to digital.

99.4% of the primary care estate are now live with digital telephony and 90% have been enrolled to use online registration systems.