Data analyst Stephen Black offers some insights into how changes in workflow and GP and patient behaviour are taking place following the widespread adoption of online consultations in general practice. Data from NHS England says that, as of 24th April, 58% of practices are now live with an online consultation system. The data also confirms…

DNAs are undoubtedly a big problem for GP practices. More than 10 million GP appointments are lost to DNAs each year, according to the GPC, while surveys conducted by the likes of GPonline suggest the figure could be as high as 14 million. While DNAs can have positives – some practitioners argue that a DNA…

A full-time (9 sessions per week) GP might offer 135 appointments per week  based on a 10-minute consultation. This is a personal view of why there are never enough appointments. Have you ever thought about how many appointments have been lost in your practice over the years? It’s quite complicated and for both new and…

As GP practices battle to provide an adequate number of face-to-face appointments, I was wondering if other forms of consultation are on the increase. I spotted recently a notice in my local surgery which declared that almost one third of consultations in July had been carried out on the telephone. This amounted to a remarkable…

(Time to read: 6 minutes) A discussion thread on the Practice Index Forum has once again brought to the fore the hot topic of how GP practices balance pre-bookable and on-the-day appointments. The discussion – click here to access it – makes for interesting reading, with different practices utilising different appointment splits, many of which…

Patients thinking of using online GP services should ask themselves a series of key questions, according to the Royal College of GPs. The advice comes as some online GP services have begun providing NHS services and has enabled patients to sign up with an online provider as their NHS practice. The college’s first question for patients…

A new NHS electronic outpatient system should halve the number of missed appointments in England and save at least £50 million, developers say. The NHS e-Referral service (e-RS) will be introduced from 1 October 2018 that will enable patients to book or alter appointments online, using a mobile phone or tablet. The switch to electronic…