About GP Online Consultation 

As part of its Digital Transformation Strategy, NHS England embarked on a series of schemes, using technology to empower people to take control of their health and care through secure online access to clinicians, personalised health information, digital tools and advice that help patients to better manage their conditions. As part of this, we launched GP Online Consultation in 2017 with the main objective to empower patients and make it easier for clinicians to deliver high quality care and enabling patients to seamlessly navigate the service.

The online consultations are a way for patients to contact their GP practice without having to queue on the phone or take time out of their busy lifestyles to come into the practice. With a few clicks using a smartphone, tablet or computer, people can contact their GP practices about a new problem or an ongoing issue. They can ask questions or tell their GP about their symptoms. The practice ensures their query is dealt with by the right person in the team, helping ensure everyone is served as quickly and appropriately as possible.

Have a look at our animation to find out more about GP Online Consultation. 

GP Online Consultation is fully funded by NHS England as part of the General Practice Forward View. Through the GP Online Consultation Systems Fund the project was launched to support practices to explore and successfully embed models of online consultations as part of providing ‘Right Care, at the Right Time and in the Right Place’ which benefits both patients and staff.

As published in January 2019, the GP Online Consultation became a contractual requirement for GP practices from April 2020 as stipulated in the Five-Year Framework for GP Contract reform which all sit within the NHS Long Term Plan. It anticiapted that:

  • all practices will be offering online triage and video consultations. Video consultations are very similar to a face-to-face appointment. This is where you speak to a doctor using the video camera in your smartphone, tablet or computer. If you need to have a video call, you will get a text or email from your GP surgery with a date and time. Find out more about how to have a video call
  • all patients will have online access to their full record, as the default position, subject to existing safeguards for vulnerable groups and third party confidentiality and system functionality
  • all practices will need to have an up-to-date and informative online presence, with key information being available as metadata for other platforms to use
  • all practices will be giving all patients access to online correspondence as the system moves to digital by default (with patients required to opt-out rather than in)
  • practices will no longer use fax machines for either NHS or patient communications