All practices in England should be using digital phone technology by the end of March, the Government has stated – as medical leaders warned the project would not solve the problems of general practice.

The Department of Health said more than a thousand practices have so far signed up for the digital upgrades, aimed at helping tackle the problems of appointment booking. Ministers say new systems will mean patients never get an engaged tone.

Dr Samira Anane, deputy chair of the British Medical Association’s GP committee in England, said the new systems would not solve the problem of practices facing more demand than they can manage.

Dr Anane said: “GPs and their teams are working around the clock to try and keep up with patient demand; on average, more than a million appointments were booked in general practice across England every day last month. Despite this, demand is still far outstripping supply and patients are, quite understandably, becoming more and more frustrated. Unfortunately, installing a new telephone system isn’t going to change that. Ultimately, we still need staff to pick up the phone, make decisions about where best to triage the call, and if it’s to see a GP, then we need more of them to be able to see those patients. Practices are best placed to do this, and urgent investment and resources are needed to support and retain the workforce. Turning on the taps, without mending or fixing the holes, won’t address the issues – we need to take a holistic approach.”

Dr Anane added: “The Government needs to stop getting distracted and focus on the underlying issue of bolstering the workforce in general practice. No telephone system can replace a GP, and if we keep losing them at the rate we currently are, then there’ll be none left to give the care our patients need and deserve.”

Health Secretary Steve Barclay said: “With the support of NHS England, general practices, pharmacies and dental surgeries, backed by significant investment from the government we will bring an end to the 8am scramble for appointments. I’m delighted that over one thousand general practice surgeries will soon benefit from high tech designed to make booking an appointment as easy as possible for patients for years to come. Practices on older systems will receive an average investment of £60,000 each to move onto digital phones combined with updated digital tools and support for the transition.”