Update on Experiences of Accessing GP Practices

1. Place continued importance on equity of access

The new 2025/26 GP Contract, which came fully into effect on the 1st of October, has emphasised the importance of equity of access for patients. The contract has outlined the core hours, 8am to 6.30pm, in which GP practices must be possible to contact via the online consultation tool (triage form), telephone, or walk-in.

More than one Wandsworth GP practice told us that the move towards total triage has allowed them to support patients who have differing access requirements more effectively. 

One practice told us that their phone line has become clearer and waiting times have dropped for those who need to speak to the practice via telephone.

Another practice informed us that they have been more accommodating towards patients who don't feel comfortable using the online form, informing them that they can call the practice directly.

A practice also told us that they are actively looking at patients’ communication preferences and ensuring these are flagged effectively so all staff are aware of them.  

Two staff of different GP practices also informed us that despite the increasing digitisation of primary care they were continuing to place importance on making sure the human element is not lost. Ensuring that patients are still having conversations with another human when it is important.

2. Make online forms of access as straightforward as possible

From our own testing of the Accurx form and the NHS App we have seen some improvements made towards making online forms of access more straightforward.

Accurx (triage form)

The Wandsworth GP Federation, which is made up of and represents the 38 GP Practices in Wandsworth, investigated the Accurx experience of Wandsworth patients. 300 Wandsworth patients provided feedback about the Accurx form between July and August 2025.

A combined 87% of patients rated the form as "very easy" or "easy." A small number of "difficult" or "very difficult" responses suggests that while the system works well for most, there are specific issues affecting a minority of users.

The main positives highlighted around using Accurx were its convenience and speed of the form, as well as it’s clarity and simplicity.

The most common issues highlighted by respondents were to do with technical and access issues such as:

• Issues with uploading photos or attachments.
• Form being hard to find on the website.
• "Technical glitches" or freezing during completion.
• Difficulties with older devices or browsers.

An element highlighted for improvement by the GP Federation is around communication and the patient journey.

The Wandsworth GP Federation put forward the following recommendations for practices to improve the patient experience of online access:

Improve communication & set expectations

• Clearly state the expected response timeline
• Provide a quick confirmation to the patient that the form has been received and what to expect next.

Address technical problems

• Investigate and resolve reported "technical glitches". If it appears to be a technical issue, raise it immediately with the Accurx support team via the chat function.

Improve accessibility

• Make the form more prominent on the GP website. Consider a dedicated button or a very clear link from the homepage to make it easy to find. It should be accessible via ‘one click’ as soon as the user lands on your main webpage.

By addressing the issues around response times and follow-up, we can turn a positive initial experience into a fully trustworthy system. This will not only increase satisfaction for online users but also free up staff and phone lines, allowing us to provide better support and a more personal service to patients who still need to call in. Ultimately, a great online experience for some, helps us deliver better access for all.

The NHS App

The NHS Digital Care Co-Ordinator for South West London informed us about some of the improvements that have been made to the NHS App since the publishing of our report.

New Account Recovery Option: Patients can now register with a different email address if they need to replace their NHS account — a much-needed improvement for those who’ve lost access to their original email.

Support for Carers and Diverse Communities: Co-designed features to improve accessibility for carers, ethnic minorities, and underserved groups.

Nevertheless in regards to GP Access the lack of consistent wording on the NHS app means it remains confusing for patients to know how to easily submit a request for support from the GP practice. Most users will default to selecting which ever option is labelled with the word appointments, and this prevents them from being redirected to the correct form within the fewest number of clicks.

3. Ensure there is a consistent standard of Patient Participation Groups (PPGs) across all practices in the Borough

The Wandsworth Patient Forum, which is a patient-led group aiming to have representatives of all 38 GP practices in Wandsworth, informed us that they are still struggling to find representatives of PPGs for all Wandsworth practices. In addition, some members of the forum have said that their PPGs do not meet frequently enough or have been on indefinite hiatus. Other members have said that their practice’s PPG is very active/effective. This indicates that there is still a lack of a consistent standard of PPGs in the borough. 

4. Better, clearer and more concise messaging at a local and national level to empower patients

The new 2025/26 GP Contract has led to clearer messaging around patient access to GP practices, with clear core hours now defined as 8am to 6.30pm in which contacting the practice via the online consultation tool (triage form), telephone, or walk-in, must be possible.

One Wandsworth GP practice also told us that complaints about triage have dropped. Hopefully this will become more commonplace among all the GP practices in Wandsworth as understanding of GP access continues to become clearer.