All GPs across England must now provide digital appointment booking services, transforming the way in which patients access primary care.
The new requirement, which takes effect today, mandates that surgeries offer online booking between 8am and 6:30pm on weekdays.
The Government has implemented this change to address the widespread frustration of patients struggling to secure appointments through traditional phone systems as soon as practices open in the morning.
As a result, the digital transformation is hoped to eliminate this daily rush.
More than 15 million GP appointments were missed in 2023 | PAHowever, the British Medical Association has expressed serious reservations about the rollout, warning of a "potential online triage tsunami" that could overwhelm practices.
The digital system enables patients to request routine appointments, submit questions about their health concerns, and arrange callback services.
Approximately six million appointments are currently scheduled online each month, which is roughly 20 per cent of all GP consultations.
Care Minister Stephen Kinnock said: "We promised to tackle the 8am scramble and make it easier for patients to access their GP practice, and that's exactly what we're delivering. We are bringing our analogue health service into the digital era, giving patients greater choice and convenience."
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The Government has allocated £1.1billion to roll out the technological transition across practices nationwide.
The doctors' union has called for the implementation to be halted, warning that digital consultations could result in GPs overlooking potentially serious medical conditions.
Consequently, the BMA has requested safeguards, including the ability for surgeries to temporarily disable online booking when staff face excessive demand.
The organisation announced on Monday that it would contemplate work-to-rule industrial action if necessary to address these concerns. Despite these objections, ministers have proceeded with the scheme, insisting that adequate financial resources have been allocated to enable practices to adopt the new system.
Numerous surgeries have operated digital booking for several years, though some suspend the service during particularly demanding periods.
The initiative forms part of broader NHS modernisation efforts announced at Labour Party Conference
| GETTYThe initiative forms part of broader NHS modernisation efforts announced this week, including the Prime Minister's unveiling of NHS Online, a virtual hospital service, at Tuesday's Labour conference as part of the party's 10-year NHS strategy.
Dr Amanda Doyle from NHS England said: "This step will help modernise general practice by making online access as easy as calling or walking into your practice, ensuring the phone lines are available for those who need them most."
Jacob Lant, chief executive of patient advocacy group National Voices, welcomed the change, saying: "Online booking systems are a fundamental building block of a 21st Century NHS, but until now implementation has been frustratingly patchy."
Practices must additionally display a new patient charter on their websites, outlining service expectations and feedback procedures.