Nurse at Home Services Private At-Home Healthcare Northway Clinic and partners can provide same-day nursing care services, laboratory and...

GPs will work more closely with specialists to support patients closer to home, the government says.

Press release from the BMA

Press release from the BMA

Nurse at Home Services Private At-Home Healthcare Northway Clinic and partners can provide same-day nursing care services, laboratory and...

The UK government has announced a new contractual requirement for General Practitioners (GPs) in England to provide same-day appointments for patients with urgent health needs. From April, GP practices will be obligated to monitor and ensure that at least 90% of patients requiring urgent attention are seen the same day, with a 10% allowance for patients unable to attend. This measure is supported by additional funding equivalent to a 3.6% increase above inflation, aiming to help manage demand amid stretched services. Health Secretary Wes Streeting stated the move aims to 'fix the front door to the NHS' by improving access for urgent cases. The British Medical Association (BMA) has expressed concern that the policy could create unrealistic expectations, noting that while GP numbers have increased, patient loads remain high, and service improvement perception among patients is limited. The BMA also highlighted that they were not consulted on the changes. Patient watchdog Healthwatch England welcomed the initiative, emphasizing the need to make GP services more accessible and to handle urgent cases promptly. The new measure follows previous initiatives including mandatory online booking for non-urgent cases and incentives to maximize the use of the weight-loss drug Mounjaro.

Surgeries will now have to provide the service from 08:00 to 18:30, Monday to Friday. Patients will be able to request non-urgent appointments, describe symptoms, ask questions and request a call back...