General Practitioners: Telemedicine
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to his Department's publication entitled Changes to the GP contract in 2026/27, updated on 4 March 2025, whether he has made an assessment of the impact of removing the cap on online requests that can be submitted during core hours on (a) patient safety and (b) GP workload.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock
The Department has not made a specific assessment of the impact of removing the caps on online requests on patient safety and general practice (GP) workload. Data on online consultation submissions is collected, monitored, and published.
This is because there is no change to clinical responsibility, triage processes, or same‑day requirements for clinically urgent care as a result of this clarification. Practices retain flexibility over how requests are prioritised and responded to, including the use of triage models and appropriate response times for non‑urgent requests. Evidence from practices shows that spreading demand more evenly across the day can support smoother workflows and reduce pressure on telephone access, rather than increasing overall workload.
The clarification on online access is being implemented alongside wider GP Contract changes for 2026/27, including £485 million in additional core funding and reforms intended to support practice capacity.
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