Professor Kamila Hawthorne, chairwoman of the Royal Faculty of GPs (Credit score: Grainge Pictures)
A 3rd of GP appointments in England had been carried out remotely in June 2025, in keeping with an evaluation of NHS information.
Of those, 8% of appointments had been carried out on-line utilizing reside chat instruments, non-video apps or video-based calls, PA Media discovered.
Whereas on-line appointments have elevated from 4.9% in June 2024 and 1.5% in June 2023, the determine for telephone appointments has stayed roughly the identical at round 25%.
General, the proportion of GP distant appointments rose to 33.3% in June 2025, from 30.9% in June 2024 and 28.3% in June 2023 – nearly reaching the Covid-19 pandemic stage of 40%.
Commenting on the figures, Duncan Reid, deputy superintendent pharmacist at Pharmacy2U stated: “The truth that extra sufferers are selecting to have interaction with, and be served by, the NHS remotely, whether or not on-line or over the telephone, is a optimistic signal, and one thing we must be celebrating.
“By increasing and enhancing digital and distant providers, the NHS can be certain that these needing face-to-face appointments discover them simpler to entry.”
Professor Kamila Hawthorne, chairwoman of the Royal Faculty of GPs (RCGP) stated that the majority sufferers nonetheless choose in-person appointments.
“Distant consultations, whether or not delivered over the telephone or by way of video, can provide comfort and suppleness that many sufferers worth, and proof has proven that within the overwhelming majority of circumstances, distant care is protected.
“Typically a GP may initially seek the advice of with a affected person remotely after which ask them to come back into the observe if it’s essential to see them in particular person,” she informed PA Media.
She added that the RCGP has put ahead “encouraging proposals to enhance the GP observe digital infrastructure and IT methods”, however they might require “vital funding”.
“What’s secret’s that when GPs are consulting with their sufferers remotely, they’ve entry to the sturdy and up-to-date IT methods that permits them to take action safely and successfully.
“The faculty has referred to as for added funding of not less than £2bn to make sure our bodily and digital infrastructure is match for goal so we will provide sufferers the appointment that’s proper for them.”
The NHS 10 12 months well being plan, revealed on 3 July 2025, contains an ambition to “finish the 8am scramble” by coaching hundreds extra GPs and constructing “AI-powered on-line recommendation” into the NHS App by way of
the My NHS GP software.
It additionally pledges to “use digital telephony to make sure all telephones are answered rapidly”, including that those that want it “will get a digital or phone session for a similar day they request it”.
A spokesperson for the Division of Well being and Social Care stated: “This authorities can also be clear that sufferers ought to have entry to well being and care once they want it and individuals who choose a face-to-face appointment ought to have one, so we’re reworking the NHS App to make managing your healthcare on-line straightforward and versatile.”
An NHS England spokesperson added: “Each GP observe should provide face-to-face appointments the place sufferers need or want them, and lots of sufferers select distant appointments the place it’s clinically acceptable and extra handy for them.”
