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 accessibility of GP appointments for the digitally excluded in areas with poor signal (a) coverage and (b) capacity.

In February 2025, the General Practitioners Committee England agreed to make it a contractual obligation for all general practices (GPs) to offer access to online services throughout core hours, from 08:00 to 18:30, bringing online access in line with walk-in and phone access. This change is designed to improve patient access and reduce long phone queues for those who wish to continue using the telephone booking system. By ensuring that online booking is available during all core hours, practices can better manage demand and free up phone lines for patients who rely on telephone access. This is making it easier and more convenient for patients to contact their practice at a time that suits them, offering them greater flexibility in their daily lives, benefiting those who may experience poor signal or coverage.

The GP contract is also clear that patients should always have the option of telephoning or visiting their practice in person, so those without digital access or in areas with poor signal are not disadvantaged

To further improve access and capacity, we have invested £1.1 billion in GPs, £160 million of which is to expand the GP workforce, with 2,500 more GPs having been recruited since October 2024, and £102 million to create more clinical space which will enable the delivery of 8.3 million extra appointments.