Woe to older people, study finds: one in six GP practices now only accept bookings online

The NHS is discriminating against older patients as one in six GP practices now only accept online bookings, a study has found.

Campaigners are warning Britons are missing out on essential care as the NHS sets up “barriers” limiting the ability to see a GP in person.

According to the 60-year-old group Silver Voices, it squeezes people into private health care facilities or overcrowded emergency rooms and hits those without Internet access the hardest.

The survey of 1,200 members shows that 76 per cent had difficulty getting a personal GP appointment.

80 percent were forced to accept a telephone consultation and 71 percent were reluctant to see another member of the practice.

Meanwhile, 18 percent visited the emergency department because they could not make an urgent appointment with their family doctor, and 31 percent turned to private healthcare. One in six practices (16 per cent) now use an application process for GP appointments via the internet, the study shows.

Only 24 percent still accept walk-in requests for GP appointments. Under the NHS GP contract, patients should be able to request an appointment when they attend in person or by contacting them by phone or online. But the latest figures from the Office for National Statistics show that one in ten callers never get through.

Dennis Reed, director of Silver Voices, said: “The GP is becoming an elusive species and a lot of arrangements have to be made before the patient is finally given an audience.”

“It is therefore logical that many older people turn to private healthcare or emergency care out of desperation.”

An NHS spokesman said: “The NHS published a plan earlier this year to restore access to GP services, including upgrading telephone systems to make it easier for people to contact their GP practices, while more than 31,000 since 2019 was diagnosed. Other employees did it.” joined GP Teams. arrange further appointments.’