Key Summary
- As per NHS England data, 33.3 percent of appointments in June were not face-to-face, up from 30.9 percent in the same period last year
- Most remote appointments involve a phone call, but an increasing number are being conducted online
One in three GP consultations in England in June was done remotely, via phone or online, the highest since the Covid-19 pandemic.
As per NHS England data, 33.3 percent of appointments are not face-to-face, and this is higher than 30.9 percent in June 2024, and 28.3 percent in June 2023.
During the pandemic, as many as 4 in 10 appointments were carried out by phone or online, but the numbers fell after the easing of Covid restrictions.
Most remote appointments involve a phone call, but an increasing number are being conducted online, using live chat tools or non-video apps, as well as video-based calls.
Online calls accounted for only 1.5 per cent of all GP appointments in June 2023, but have steadily risen to 4.9 per cent by June 2024 and 8 per cent this June.
London accounted for the highest proportion of remote appointments (38.2 percent) in June, whereas it was 28.4 percent in the North East and Yorkshire.
The NHS recruited more than 2,000 GPs in a year and delivered an additional seven million GP appointments.
An NHS England spokesperson said every GP practice must offer face-to-face appointments where patients want or need them, and many choose remote appointments where it is clinically appropriate and more convenient for them.
Professor Kamila Hawthorne, chair of the Royal College of GPs (RCGP), said that there is evidence that a majority of remote consultations are safe.
"Often, a GP might initially consult with a patient remotely and then ask them to come into the practice if it's necessary to see them in person. However, we also know that many patients prefer to access their care in-person, and this is how the majority of appointments are still delivered,” she added.
