Written question WQ96108

We are committed to improving access to GP services in Wales. Through the General Medical Services (GMS) Unified Contract, it is now mandatory for GP practices to have appropriate telephony and call-handling systems in place which support the needs of callers and avoid the need for people to call back multiple times.

We have also made it a requirement that people are able to request a non-urgent consultation through a digital method of access between 8am and 6.30pm each working day. This complementary access method will reduce the number of phone calls to practices, ensuring people who contact the practice by phone can have their call answered more quickly.

The new contract also specifies that practice premises have to be open and physically accessible at all times between 8.30am and 6.00pm on each working day for people to make an appointment, should they wish to do this in person.

As independent contractors, GP practices are responsible for ensuring their appointment booking processes meet the needs of their patients. However, in April 2022, we launched a further set of Access Standards – the GMS Access Commitment – taking steps to address the 8 am bottleneck.

Following the conclusion of GMS Contract Negotiations for 2024-25, we agreed an immediate review of compliance with the Access Standards to support health boards in monitoring achievement. Updated guidance was issued to practices on 27 March.

The contract negotiations also included £4m to continue additional capacity fund investment in 2024-25, to help practices employ more staff and improve access to services.