NHS urges public to come forward for care during GP collective action

The NHS is asking the public to still come forward as usual for care during collective action by GP services which starts today (Thursday, 1 August).

GP services across England will begin collective action on Thursday, 1 August for an indefinite period of time and, while there may be some disruption to services, practices will remain open as usual and patients can make requests by phone, online or by walking in.

During collective action, practices are still required to be open between 08:00 and 18:30 Monday to Friday.

It is vital that patients still attend their appointments unless they are told otherwise and practices should inform you of any changes to services.

The nature of the action means that the impacts will vary at different GP practices and from area to area but could include GPs limiting the number of patient appointments per day.

NHS teams have worked hard to plan for disruption and to mitigate this where possible to ensure services continued to be provided for patients.

Patients should continue to use 111 for urgent medical help when their GP practice is unavailable and if it is a serious or life-threatening emergency call 999.

Dr Amanda Doyle, NHS National Director for Primary Care and Community Services, said: “GPs and their teams are the bedrock of the NHS, and we recognise they are working really hard and dealing with record demand. On behalf of patients, the NHS has a duty to plan for collective action, and we will continue to work with government to find a resolution and end collective action.

“Our message to the public remains the same – they should continue to come forward for care during this collective action, as GP practices will remain open.”