Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to help ensure that patients are aware that they will continue to have the option to arrange GP appointments by (a) telephone and (b) visiting a practice in-person.

General practices are independent business that hold contracts with the National Health Service to perform essential services to the public. The GP contract is clear that patients should always have the option of telephoning or visiting their practice in person. Practice receptions should be open so that patients have a choice in access and so that patients who struggle to access telephone or online services are in no way disadvantaged.

As a part of this contract, we also require general practices to provide an online consultation tool as an option for patients to contact their general practice throughout core hours. We are clear that all online tools must always be provided in addition to, rather than as a replacement for, other channels for accessing a general practitioner.