GPs and their staff achieved a huge increase in face to face appointments last month – whilst also increasing the use of telephone, according to new data.

GP leaders welcomed the data as giving the lie to claims that practices have been excessively cautious in allowing patients through their doors. The NHS Data figures show 15 million face to face appointments in September, 50% more than in August and the highest number since March, when the UK went into lockdown.

Home visits also increased, reaching nearly 149,000. 10.2 million appointments were by telephone, the highest ever and more than three times the number a year ago. Overall, it meant practices undertook a million more appointments than a year earlier. There was a big increase in video and on-line consultations, compared with July and August reaching 124,000 – but they remain at a much lower rate than reported in 2019. There were 172,000 a year previously.

Dr Richard Vautrey, chair of the British Medical Association’s GP committee, said there was also an increase of 1.5 million in same day appointments compared with a year earlier. He said: “Today’s figures show that GP practices are very much open for business. Indeed, there were a million more patient appointments in September this year, compared to last.

“These figures show that GPs and their practice teams are absolutely open and doing do all they can for patients in these most challenging of times. The continued use of triage arrangements, telephone and digital consultations are essential to keep both patients and staff as safe as possible and avoid the infection risks from busy, crowded waiting rooms. However physical appointments will always be a vital part of general practice and as these results demonstrate practices will see patients when it’s necessary, and we must never lose sight of that.”

The NHS Confederation warned that the increased activity was putting extra pressure on practice staff. Senior clinical adviser Dr Graham Jackson said: “Clinical directors at Primary Care Networks are telling us their teams are overwhelmed, anxious and burned out as workload has climbed and are having to cope with high staff absence rates, all while trying to adopt new models of delivering care.

“There has tended to be more focus on hospital services treating COVID-19 patients, however all parts of the NHS are under pressure. Primary care needs more national support and recognition. Primary Care Networks should be given more flexibility to best respond to the needs of the communities they serve whilst still meeting the contract specifications.”

Speaking to a conference, Royal College of GPs chair Professor Martin Marshall said doctors might be taking “risks” by not seeing patients face to face. He said: “It’s not just about being able to physically examine someone. It’s about the soft signs — seeing that patient who is scared or smelling of alcohol on their breath.”