A major overhaul of the GP appointment booking system takes effect from today, October 1, with the aim of ending the notorious '8am scramble' for appointments. Under the new rules, all GP practices in the UK must keep their online booking systems open from 8am to 6.30pm, Monday to Friday, and can no longer ask patients to call back the following day.
Patients will now be required to provide details of their condition online, and practices must respond within one working day. They will be offered a GP appointment, a referral to a pharmacist or another NHS service, or self-care advice. The government says the changes will spread demand more evenly and free up phone lines for elderly patients.
However, the British Medical Association (BMA) has warned that the changes could unleash a 'tsunami of requests', overwhelming surgeries and putting patients at risk. GPs say that without proper triage tools, urgent cases could be buried under routine admin. The BMA has issued a 48-hour ultimatum, threatening industrial action unless safeguards are implemented immediately.
Dr Katie Bramall, chair of the BMA's GP committee, said: 'The Secretary of State knows that when these changes come into effect it will likely lead to the creation of hospital-style waiting lists in general practice and reduce face-to-face GP appointments.' Critics also warn that patients could face longer waits for non-urgent appointments as staff struggle to process all requests.
Despite the shift towards online booking, patients can still call reception or walk in for help. The government hopes that keeping online requests open all day will ease pressure on phone lines, but GPs fear the system is not ready and could cause chaos across the NHS.
