Weekend e-consults and online access
We are aware that many practices are receiving online consultations submitted over weekends and triaging these is creating significant workload, often running into several sessions of GP time each week.
Currently there is no requirement for practices to provide online consultations, although there is a commitment for them to become a mandatory part of core GP services in a future iteration of the GP Contract.
Practices may switch off their online consultation platforms outside of core hours, which will normally be done by contacting the platform provider, or in some cases just temporarily removing the link/embedded access to the platform from their website. However, they should make it clear on the page that formerly provided access to the platform that patients should visit NHS 111 instead.
Last updated : 24 May 2021Dr Michelle Drage's statement on the new Secretary of State for Health and Social Care (10 Jul 2018)
Dr Michelle Drage responds to the appointment of Matthew Hancock as Secretary of State for Health and Social Care. "Congratulations and welcome to new Health Secretary Matthew Hancock. "I’d love...Perinatal mental health access variation (06 Jul 2018)
The Pan-London Perinatal Mental Health Network are gathering information on disparities in access to, and funding for, perinatal mental health within secondary and tertiary care. This map produced by the...Salisbury Novichok 1 incident - Public Health England interim guidance (05 Jul 2018)
Following the recent Salisbury Novichok 1 incident, Public Health England have issued interim guidance on the diagnosis and early management in organophosphate chemical incidents. This guidance can be downloadedLondonwide LMCs' June 2018 newsletter (20 Jun 2018)
...Tips of the month June 2018 (20 Jun 2018)
We provide weekly tips based on common queries which come through to us from London GPs and practice teams. These are shared via social media and collated for...Free online mindfulness course for patients (19 Jun 2018)
Londoners can now access a free online mindfulness tool via the Good Thinking website. The website signposts individuals to resources to help deal with depression, anxiety, stress and insomnia...GP State of Emergency continues (19 Jun 2018)
Since April 2016 when GPs in London and across the country declared a GP State of Emergency, our campaign has been a great success. However, we recognise that the...SNOMED CT update for SystmOne practices (19 Jun 2018)
The first phase of the national deployment of SNOMED CT has now taken place with approximately 20 pilot sites taking part. The wider roll-out for SystmOne GP practices will be...Publication of Integrated Care - Organisations, Partnerships and Systems (19 Jun 2018)
Online report PDF download The Committee considered the increasing reliance on a range of health and care services, which are mostly...KO41b returns not mandatory for 2018 (19 Jun 2018)
The window for practices to complete and submit the 2017/18 NHS complaints data return closed on Friday 8 June. The BMA has previously advised that practices are under no legal...Guidance
We provide expert guidance for practices in our guidance section, as well as an archive of other materials you may find useful.
GP Support
Contact our GP Support team if you need help or advice.
The team provide professional and pastoral support to GPs and practice teams on a broad range of issues.