GPs are being told to pick up the phone to more patients as part of efforts to end the so-called "8am scramble" for appointments, a report says. The Government's primary care recovery plan will tell GPs it will no longer be acceptable to ask patients to phone back later in the hunt for an appointment, according to The Times.
The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) said practices were being given support to “make better use of digital telephone systems” so they can “increase capacity to take calls from patients particularly at the busiest times”.
Plans to speed up GP appointment availability were previously announced by then health secretary Therese Coffey during Liz Truss’s short-lived time as Prime Minister. The Times said Ms Coffey’s successor Steve Barclay is due to deliver on some of those plans, including improving phone systems and making performance comparisons easier for patients.
