From today, October 1, all surgeries in England must adhere to new opening time rules after the government ordered new changes to the online booking system
As GP practices in England implement mandatory opening hours from today, an NHS medic has explained exactly what to expect and the additional changes coming into force.
From Wednesday, October 1, all surgeries must comply with NHS England’s fresh charter titled: “You and your general practice”.
Dr Tim Mercer, who provides medical guidance on TikTok, revealed one significant alteration that patients “will be happy about” was that “practices can’t just say: ‘Just call back tomorrow at 8am’.”
Starting from today, GPs must remain accessible from 8:00am to 6:30pm, Monday to Friday, and during these periods they can be reached face-to-face, by telephone, digitally or via the NHS app.
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“Whether you make your request by phone, online or visiting the practice, you have to give us some details and then we can assess what is best for you based on your clinical need,” Dr Mercer explained.
“We will consider your request for an appointment or for medical advice and tell you within one working day what will happen next,” he continued.
From October 1, enquiries might lead to an appointment “that day, the subsequent day, or it might just be a text message or advice to go to the pharmacy or another NHS service”.
“Your practice will decide what is best for you based on your clinical need,” NHS England stated on its website. “Your practice cannot tell you to just call back the next day.
“You might be offered a face-to-face appointment or a phone call with a GP or other member of the practice staff, like a nurse or pharmacist,” the service added.
“If you have a carer, they can speak for you with your consent.”
You can ask to see a preferred healthcare professional, and the practice will try to meet your request, although you might have to wait longer for that person to be available. It can be helpful to see the same healthcare professional, particularly if you have a long-term health condition.”
Meanwhile, to help with the process and changeover, the NHS has various recommendations, which it outlines on its website:
- Be prepared: Before an appointment, think about writing down your symptoms, what you are worried about and what you want to talk about.
- Be on time: Being late for an appointment or being unavailable for a timed call-back can affect other patients.
- Cancel if needed: If you can’t go to your appointment, tell the practice as soon as you can, so that they can offer it to someone else.
- Use the NHS App or website: If you’re confident using smart phones or computers, you can book or cancel appointments, order repeat prescriptions, and see your test results online.
- Turn on notifications: If you use the NHS App, turn on notifications so the practice can contact you more easily. Please keep an eye out for messages.
- Order repeat medicines on time: Make sure you ask for repeat prescriptions on time, so you don’t run out, and only order what you need.
- Join the Patient Participation Group: You practice will have a group of patients who can offer feedback on the services it delivers. Your practice website should explain how you can join.
Full guidance, provided by the NHS can be found here.
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