Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential effect of GP surgeries requiring patients to phone up to book a GP appointment on waiting times for all GP appointments.

Data on waiting times for general practitioner (GP) appointments is not held centrally therefore no such assessment has been made.

Patients can book GP appointments by visiting the surgery’s website, using the NHS App and calling the practice directly. Accessing general practice services has changed during the pandemic, with practices offering triage and remote consultations alongside face-to face appointments, in order to see as many patients as possible while protecting staff and patients from infection risks.