Around one in 50 GP appointments in England were carried out by video or online in August, the highest proportion since current records began, new analysis reveals.
It comes amid calls from campaigners for the Government to devise a “proper plan” for investment in the general practice system, which they say is “broken”.
Some 28.2 million appointments were delivered by GPs in England in August, of which nearly 600,000 – 2.1% – were by video or online.
This is up from 1.8% in July and the fourth monthly rise in a row, after hitting 1.4% in June and 0.8% in May.
Previously, the proportion was always between 0.3% and 0.7%, according to analysis by the PA news agency of NHS data going back to November 2017.
The rise in appointments by video or online has been mirrored by a drop in those carried out face to face, which fell from 70.0% in April to 67.9% in August – the lowest figure for 12 months.
Some 26.5% of appointments in August took place over the telephone while 1.0% were home visits, both of which are broadly unchanged on recent months.
Speaking on behalf of the Rebuild General Practice campaign, Oxfordshire GP Dr Rachel Ward said: “What patients and GPs want is continuity of care and a return to the family doctor.
“This means seeing the same doctor – whether face to face, over the phone or by video call. Video appointments are best for many patients who tell us they like the flexibility and efficiency, while other patients prefer coming into see us.”
We want to be able to see our patients and provide the care they need – but the system is broken— Dr Ward
A YouGov poll commissioned by Rebuild General Practice found the majority of people in Britain want a “family doctor-style general practice back at the heart of their communities”.
Out of 4,097 adults, 57% said they think it is important they see the same GP every time they visit their local surgery.
Dr Ward added: “We want to be able to see our patients and provide the care they need – but the system is broken.
“Decades of neglect across the whole of the health service and especially in general practice has put patient safety at risk. That’s why we’re asking for a proper plan to invest in general practice and help us to deliver the service patients deserve.”
Dr Victoria Tzortziou Brown, vice chairwoman of the Royal College Of General Practitioners (RCGP), said the use of telephone, video and online tools “is becoming more commonplace” but the majority of GP appointments remain face to face.
“During August, over 19 million appointments were delivered in person by GP teams,” she said.
“We know some patients prefer seeing their GP in person, and many GPs prefer this way of consulting, but some patients find remote care a convenient and effective way of accessing GP services.”
The average number of patients per GP in England is now an overwhelming 2,279 - an increase equivalent to an extra 136 patients per GP since the end of 2019— Dr Tzortziou Brown
Dr Tzortziou Brown said the figures also show “the worrying state of general practice”.
She said: “We are dealing with over 20% more appointments per month than in August 2019 – all with 883 fewer fully qualified, full-time GPs than in December 2019.
“The average number of patients per GP in England is now an overwhelming 2,279 – an increase equivalent to an extra 136 patients per GP since the end of 2019.
“Not only have GPs seen a substantial increase in their workloads – processing nearly five million more appointments than in August 2019 – we have also seen the nature of appointments become more complex.
“A growing number of patients now need care for multiple or chronic conditions, and many are presenting to GPs with concerns and conditions linked to the cost-of-living crisis.”
The RCGP is calling for “immediate action” to address staffing issues in general practice in the hope the “situation can be turned around”.
“The Government’s recent workforce plan has committed to increasing the numbers of GPs in the future but we need urgent action to ensure the safe and timely access to general practice now,” Dr Tzortziou Brown said.
“We need a fully funded national retention scheme and measures to cut the amount of time that GPs have to spend on bureaucracy if we want general practice to survive and our patients to receive the care they need and deserve.”
In May, the Government unveiled its Primary Care Recovery Plan, which outlined its aim to give general practice more digital tools, as well as providing funding to pharmacists to “do more” and help free up GP appointment slots.
The blueprint included a £240 million investment into digital phone systems, which officials said would end the “8am scramble” for an appointment with a doctor.
In August, it was revealed that more than 1,000 practices had signed up for the upgrade, which will come into force from March.
An NHS spokesperson said: “General Practice teams have experienced record demand for their services, with half a million more appointments delivered every week compared to before the pandemic, and almost 7 in 10 appointments taking place face-to-face in August.
“The NHS is committed to improving access for patients, which is why we published our primary care access recovery plan in May, which included landmark support for patients and GP surgeries. Anyone concerned about their health should continue to come forward for care.”
