Around 180,000 more people a month will have the option to self-refer for key services such as help with incontinence, podiatry, or hearing tests without needing to see a GP.
Across NHS services, around 200,000 people a month already refer themselves for treatment for podiatry, audiology, and physiotherapy but local services will now be able to expand the option of self-referral to other key services based on the needs of their population.
As part of the primary care access recovery plan published in May last year, the NHS will write to local services today to set out the next steps for the year ahead to continue to modernise general practice, expand pharmacy services, and offer patients more choice in how they access care.
Dr Amanda Doyle, national director for primary care at NHS England said: “GPs and pharmacies in the heart of our communities are often the first point of call for people who are unwell, so it is only right the NHS does everything possible to make these services as convenient and modern as possible for patients."
She said that the NHS has made "important progress" in terms of self-referral over the past year.
"We want to make sure that this offer is available to even more people which is why we are expanding the offers in our primary access recovery plan including increasing the number of people who can self-refer for common services without a GP referral – not only is this good news for patients but it will also free up family doctors who are already delivering millions more appointments a month than before the pandemic,” she added.
Every GP practice will now also be required to allow new patients to register online this year instead of having to attend in-person and fill in a form.
The NHS said patients will have easy access to healthcare, with 1.5 million more people a month able to order repeat prescriptions on the NHS App taking the total to 50 million a year.
More than nine in ten of GP practices in England now have cloud based systems thanks to the plan, meaning phone lines can be expanded and won’t ever be engaged. The remaining practices are agreeing dates within the next month for upgrades to happen with tech suppliers and are expected to happen from next month.
