New online GP access rules already risking patient harm, practices warn
New rules that force general practices in England to accept online queries from patients during core working hours are already risking harm to patients and increasing GPs’ workload and stress, a survey indicates.
More than half (55%) of general practices polled in a BMA survey said online consultations were having a negative effect on patient care.
Some 1341 practices responded to the survey, around 22% of England’s total number. Together, those practices represent almost 14 million registered patients.
The Department of Health and Social Care dismissed the data, saying the survey involved a “small minority of GP practices” and did not reflect the national picture.
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Source: BMJ (20 November 2025)