We all know the absolute agg of trying to get a GP appointment by calling your surgery the second it hits 8AM, or turning up to join a queue that snakes its way down the street – but hopefully the '8AM scramble' will be a thing of the past by the end of this year.
The government has announced that from October onwards, GP clinics will have to have an online booking system in place for patients and that it ought to allow patients to choose which doctor they'd like to see too. It's all part of Labour's pledge to 'bring back the family GP', the government says.
You will still be able to book an appointment over the phone too, and it sounds like the online booking system is more for less urgent issues.
It has also announced a load of new funding for GPs. "For the first time in four years, government and GP representatives have agreed reforms to GP contracts, to fix the front door of the NHS and bring back the family doctor, which was identified as a priority by the Health and Social Care Secretary when he first joined the department," the government has shared.
"The new deal agreed yesterday (27th February) between the government and British Medical Association (BMA) will free up doctors from red tape and box-ticking targets to concentrate on what they do best – treating patients."
More money is also being invested into ensuring GPs can discuss concerns with specialists before referring a patient to hospital, and 'check box' targets that GPs face have been cut too, in a bid to free them up to focus more on the work that matters.
Everyone's clicking on...
While it's a positive step in the right direction, it's not a silver bullet says Dr Katie Bramall-Stainer, chair of the BMA GP committee, who responded to the 'welcomed' announcement with: "At the end of last year, the Government announced its funding package and GPCE is clear that its acceptance of these changes is contingent on the Government agreeing to renegotiate a new contract in this Parliament.
"The green shoots of recovery will be seen when we start to see a fall in the numbers of practices being forced to close – closures that leave patients waiting far too long to see their GP. Our patients deserve the best care possible in a timely manner, and the Government needs to support GPs as the exemplar for productivity and efficiency within the NHS."
Nice to have some positivity though, hey?
Jennifer Savin is Cosmopolitan UK's multiple award-winning Features Editor, who was crowned Digital Journalist of the Year for her work tackling the issues most important to young women. She regularly covers breaking news, cultural trends, health, the royals and more, using her esteemed connections to access the best experts along the way. She's grilled everyone from high-profile politicians to A-list celebrities, and has sensitively interviewed hundreds of people about their real life stories. In addition to this, Jennifer is widely known for her own undercover investigations and campaign work, which includes successfully petitioning the government for change around topics like abortion rights and image-based sexual abuse. Jennifer is also a published author, documentary consultant (helping to create BBC’s Deepfake Porn: Could You Be Next?) and a patron for Y.E.S. (a youth services charity). Alongside Cosmopolitan, Jennifer has written for The Times, Women’s Health, ELLE and numerous other publications, appeared on podcasts, and spoken on (and hosted) panels for the Women of the World Festival, the University of Manchester and more. In her spare time, Jennifer is a big fan of lipstick, leopard print and over-ordering at dinner. Follow Jennifer on Instagram, X or LinkedIn.
