The frantic scramble to book a GP appointment at 8AM could soon be a thing of the past. Thanks to a new £900 million deal, patients will be able to book online instead of battling jammed phone lines.
The agreement, struck between the government and the British Medical Association (BMA), aims to “bring back the family doctor” while freeing GPs from red tape.
More Freedom for GPs, More Convenience for Patients
From October this year, all GP surgeries will have to offer online appointment requests. The idea? Free up phone lines for urgent cases and end the morning booking chaos.
The deal also removes pointless targets, such as requiring GPs to report on staff wellbeing meetings or explain how they use IT systems. Instead, doctors can spend more time treating patients.
A Push for the ‘Family Doctor’ Model
GPs will also be encouraged to identify patients who would benefit from seeing the same doctor at every appointment. The aim is to improve continuity of care and ensure patients get to know their GP.
Health Secretary Wes Streeting called it a “first step” in fixing the NHS.
“Over the past decade, GP funding has been cut while targets have soared. That’s why patients struggle to get appointments. We’re scrapping pointless bureaucracy and backing GPs with £889 million next year,” he said.
A Turning Point for GP Services?
This is the first major GP contract reform in four years, marking a fresh start after recent strikes and tensions between doctors and the government.
Dr Amanda Doyle of NHS England called the deal a positive step forward, while the BMA’s Dr Katie Bramall-Stainer said it was a much-needed shift after years of underfunding.
However, she warned that real change would only come with long-term investment.
“The green shoots of recovery will be seen when fewer GP practices are forced to close. But the government must commit to further reform to keep NHS services running,” she added.
What’s Next?
The reforms are part of the government’s wider Plan for Change to ease pressure on the NHS, including reducing demand on A&E.
But will this deal really fix GP access? That remains to be seen.
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