Doctor on calls

A THIRD of GP appointments are now being carried out either over the phone or online, the highest proportion since the pandemic.

- BY MARTIN BAGOT Health Editor

Last month's figure is up from 30.9% a year earlier and from 28.3% in 2023.

Most appointments that are not in person involve a phone call but an increasing number are via an online video call.

Professor Kamila Hawthorne, chair of the Royal College of GPs, said: “Remote consultations can offer convenience, and the evidence has shown that in the vast majority of cases, remote care is safe.