More than 8 million people submitted GP requests online in October 2025, up 21% on September and 68% on last year. The data arrives as the NHS and government work to make contacting GP practices easier.
Around one in three online requests are for non-clinical reasons such as administrative tasks and repeat prescriptions, reducing the need for phone calls for non-urgent issues. Since 1 October, all GP practices have been asked to offer online contact throughout working hours.
GP practices also received 31 million phone calls in October — more than a million each working day. General practice delivered a record 39 million appointments in October 2025, including tens of thousands of Covid-19 vaccines. Patients can now choose to contact their practice online, by phone, or by walking in.
Dr Amanda Doyle, NHS England National Director for Primary Care and Community Services, said: “9 in 10 people who contact the NHS every day go through their GP practice, so it’s only right that we make this as straightforward as possible. Most people now manage their lives using technology – so it makes sense for people to be able to manage their healthcare online in the same way. Today’s figures show that millions of people each week are choosing to get in touch with their GP online, which also helps free up phonelines for those who can’t, or prefer not to use online consultation requests. Anyone who wants to contact their practice by phone can still do so, and all practices have upgraded their telephone systems, so it is now easier too for people who prefer to use this route, with reception desks open for people to walk in.”
Minister of State for Care Stephen Kinnock said: “These figures show the NHS is modernising at pace to fit around patients’ lives. We promised to tackle the 8am scramble and make it easier for patients to access GPs – and that’s exactly what we’re delivering. Over 8 million people chose to contact their GP online in October – up more than two-thirds from last year. Many of these online requests are for repeat prescriptions and admin tasks that no longer need to tie up phone lines for those with urgent needs. At the same time as making online consultations universal, we have invested an extra £1.1 billion and recruited 2,500 more GPs to help deliver it. Patients now have real choice in how they access their GP, whether that’s online, by phone, or in person. Thanks to the fair and necessary decisions we made in the Budget, we are delivering on our mandate for change and rebuilding the NHS. It will take time, but we are bringing our analogue NHS into the digital age – and patient satisfaction with GP access has increased from 60% in July 2024 to 75% today highlighting the difference this government is making.”
Several practices that introduced online requests earlier report improved patient and staff satisfaction. Dr Rumshia Ahmad of Brondesbury Medical Centre in London said they implemented an online consultation and GP-led total triage system in October 2023 so every patient request comes through a single “digital front door.” Patients complete a simple online form reviewed by a GP and routed to the appropriate team member, with most patients receiving a booking link or clear plan within an hour. Dr Ahmad said the approach is safe and fair, with active support for digitally excluded patients. Since going live they have halved daily phone calls, cut missed calls by over 80%, reduced routine waits from about two weeks to roughly three days, and achieved up to 92% continuity for patients needing the same clinician. Patient outcomes, surveys and online reviews have improved, staff report less overwhelm, and a cloud-based telephony system has enabled call-backs instead of long hold times.
