GPs found to have 'forced elderly to book appointments online' in major breach of NHS rules

GPs have been found to have "forced the elderly to book appointments online" in a major breach of NHS rules, suggests a survey.

Roughly a third of people aged 75 years or older were forced to request a doctor's appointment via an online form, according to a survey conducted by the charity Re-engage.

The demand is contrary to NHS policy, which requires all GP practices to enable patients to book appointments in-person or over the phone.

There is no evidence GP practices have been penalised for not adhering to the rules, according to the Telegraph.

The NHS stipulates doctors' surgeries should offer a variety of booking options.

Critics have called for practices to "lose funding" if they are found in breach of contract terms.

The survey is part of a report called Care On Hold, which surveyed 926 elderly people about their experiences in accessing GP services, conducted by Re-engage, a charity focusing on loneliness amongst older people.

Re-engage concluded the report shows a "stark gap between policy and practice".

Key findings in the report revealed 70 per cent of eldery respondents said they lacked the equipment or knowledge to book online without help.

The report shares Doris's story, who is almost 95 and has no internet access.

She said: "I am nearly 95 and do not have the internet. I rely on the phone, and they are always full.

"They say come to the surgery, but I cannot get there."

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Sixty-two per cent also said they have no one to assist them in making an online booking.

Ada, 80, has to rely on a friend to make the bookings for her as she cannot walk to the GP to make an appointment.

She said: "Without Ruby, I'd have to get a taxi there as I certainly couldn't walk that far.

"To get there it would be £6.50 — so £13 just to book an appointment."

Of those surveyed, over three in four (77 per cent) disagreed GPs should continue to move forward with online-only services, with 63 per cent saying this approach increases their feelings of loneliness and isolation.

Re-engage was told by Lancashire and South Cumbria Integrated Care Board that "practices are required to ensure patients can contact their practice by phone or walking in throughout core hours" via an FOI request.

They claimed 100 per cent of GP practices within their remit offered all three booking options.

However, 81-year-old Bill was turned away by a surgery within the area after trying to book in person, instead being told to go online.

He said: "If I had to do it myself, I'd have given up."

In reaction to the findings, the charity has four key demands for the Government:

• a guarantee of the right to choose between digital and non-digital access;
• make offline booking a protected component of GP contracts;
• involve elderly people in the shaping of digital health policy;
• and publish data on access broken down by age, gender, disability and ethnicity

The findings come amid the NHS pledging their 10-year plan to shift services "from analogue to digital", sparking concern for those older and more isolated being left behind in the transition.

Re-engage concluded with a stark warning: "Without sustained investment in inclusion and stronger protections for telephone and in-person booking, digital transformation risks widening health inequalities and deepening chronic loneliness."

An NHS spokesman said: "While online booking forms offer patients an additional way to access care, they are not a replacement for traditional methods, and all GP practices are contractually required to allow patients to book appointments by phone or by attending reception in person.

"We have upgraded thousands of GP telephone systems, and by expanding the hours for submitting initial online requests, we are freeing up phone lines for those who prefer to make an appointment by phone."