Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure face-to-face GP appointments are more readily available to patients.

On 22 September 2022, we announced measures to assist people to make an informed choice on their general practitioner (GP) practice, book an appointment more easily, benefit from more care options and increase the diversity of general practice teams. This aims to increase the availability of appointment types, such as face-to-face, in England.

NHS England’s guidance states that GP practices must provide face-to-face appointments and remote consultations and should respect preferences for face-to-face care unless there are good clinical reasons to the contrary.  While remote consultations can provide additional choice, flexibility and convenience for patients, this is not suitable for all patients or in all circumstances. In October 2022, 71.3% of appointments were conducted face-to-face, excluding COVID-19 vaccinations, up from 64.3% in October 2021.