The National Health Service (NHS) in England is experiencing a significant shift in how patients interact with their general practitioners, with online requests for healthcare services surging in recent months. More than 8 million people submitted GP requests online during October 2025, a 21% increase from the previous month and a 68% jump compared to the same period last year, according to NHS England data released in November 2025.
This trend is part of a broader effort to modernize access to primary care and alleviate pressure on traditional phone lines. Approximately one-third of these online requests are for non-clinical matters, such as administrative tasks and repeat prescriptions, freeing up GP staff to focus on more complex patient needs. The move towards digital access is also aimed at providing patients with greater convenience and choice in how they manage their healthcare.
The increasing adoption of online services coincides with a push to make contacting a GP practice as easy as possible. As of October 1, 2025, all GP practices in England were required to offer online access for patient contact during working hours. This requirement builds upon an earlier initiative launched 18 months prior, which saw over 1 million patients utilize a national online service to register with a GP. Currently, roughly one-third of GP practices offer the online registration service, with the goal of universal adoption by October 2024, as stipulated in the recently published GP contract.
The benefits of this digital transformation extend beyond patient convenience. GP practices are reporting time savings in administrative tasks due to the online tools. The online Register with a GP surgery service, managed by NHS England, allows patients to find and register with a local GP without needing to visit the practice in person, a process that historically involved paper forms and in-person submissions. This streamlining of the registration process is particularly valuable given that GP practices handle approximately 6.8 million registrations annually.
Further bolstering the digital infrastructure, a major expansion of the NHS App is contributing to reduced waiting times. The app has been instrumental in preventing 1.5 million hospital appointments from being missed since July 2024, saving an estimated 5.7 million staff hours. As of April 2025, 87% of hospitals now offer services through the NHS App, exceeding the government’s initial target of 85% by the end of March 2025. This represents a significant increase from the 68% of hospitals offering app-based services in July 2024.
The NHS App allows patients to manage appointments, view prescriptions, access their GP health record and receive notifications, all through a single platform. This increased accessibility is intended to empower patients and provide them with greater control over their healthcare journey. The government’s “Plan for Change” emphasizes the importance of shifting NHS services from analogue to digital formats, and the NHS App is a central component of this strategy.
Dr. Amanda Doyle, National Director of Primary Care and Community Services for NHS England, highlighted the significance of these developments. “9 in 10 people who contact the NHS every day go through their GP practice, so it’s only right that we make this as straightforward as possible,” she stated. “Most people now manage their lives using technology – so it makes sense for people to be able to manage their healthcare online in the same way.”
Despite the increasing popularity of online services, traditional methods of contacting GP practices remain heavily utilized. GP practices received 31 million phone calls in October 2025, averaging over 1 million calls per working day. However, the shift towards digital channels is demonstrably easing the burden on phone lines, allowing staff to prioritize urgent cases and improve overall efficiency. General practice continues to deliver a substantial volume of appointments, with a record 39 million appointments taking place in October 2025, including a significant number of Covid-19 vaccinations.
The NHS is actively promoting a multi-channel approach to accessing care, allowing patients to choose the method that best suits their needs – whether it be online, by phone, or through walk-in appointments. This flexibility is intended to enhance patient satisfaction and ensure that individuals can readily access the care they require. Nearly half of all online GP registrations (48%) occurred outside of normal GP surgery opening hours, and approximately one in fifteen users accessed the digital service in another language, demonstrating the accessibility benefits of the online platform.
