The Department of Health and Social Care has proposed a new requirement for general practice to ensure patients can contact their surgery through electronic communications during core hours, as part of the “transition from analogue to digital in primary care”.
The proposal comes as part of the new GP contract for 2025 – 2026 which has been backed by an “extra £889 million on top of the existing budget for general practice,” DHSC notes.
A change has also been outlined to reduce the number of targets from 76 to 44 as part of the Quality and Outcomes Framework reporting. The announcement also highlights the intention to provide “financial incentives to reward” practices in certain areas such as identifying and managing patients with high blood pressure.
Louise Ansari, chief executive at Healthwatch England, said: “Struggling to make a GP appointment is one of the top issues people share with Healthwatch. So people will welcome this focus on strengthening support to GP teams, so they can get the local advice, treatment, prescriptions and referrals they need. As the NHS embarks on long-term reforms, its vital that short-term changes give people more choices over their care, more time to discuss their symptoms and lives in a safe space, and personalised support which works for them and their families.”
The new contract is now under consultation and awaiting feedback from the British Medical Association’s general practice committee.
Digital primary care: the wider trend
NHS Kent and Medway’s five-year primary care strategy was recently published, with a focus on improving access through digital front doors, increased use of the NHS app, and digital appointment systems. It highlighted same day access hubs, online consultations, cloud telephony, care navigation and triage, and access to self-care, with key enablers including workforce, estates, digital technology, and communications. Sukh Singh, director of primary and community care at the ICB, said the changes introduced reflect the move to a position where “everyone will be triaged, a bit like when you arrive at a hospital”.
OX.DH shared its part in the NHS Tech Innovation Framework to increase innovation and choice in the primary care IT market. The supplier shared how it’s working with forward thinking GP practices and PCNs, who are looking to address the critical issues of inefficiency, outdated systems, and fragmented data and care.
NHS England recently published statistics on appointments in general practice covering the month of September 2024, showing an increase of almost 900,000 in the number of appointments delivered online or through video conferencing. 1,154,787 of these video/online appointments were also delivered on the same day, up from 477,235 for September of the previous year.
A HTN Now panel discussion on the topic of innovation in primary care also covered topics including what “good” looks like for innovation in the primary care space, digital and patient access, barriers to innovation, and what primary care needs to innovate.
A HTN feature from Hanley Consulting’s Paul Harvey shared practical examples on the impact of using data to transform primary care, covering operational efficiency, using data for trend analysis, and making informed decisions that support patient outcomes, optimising resource utilisation, and continuous advancements in practice.
We also recently reported on the Scottish Government’s annual update on progress toward the NHS Recovery Plan, which outlined the role of digital innovation in empowering patients, supporting preventative care, managing demand, and addressing inequalities. It also noted the progress made around developing a digital front door, enabling remote monitoring and enhancing scheduling.
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