The new rules will dramatically change how and when you get an appointment
Neil Shaw Assistant Editor
07:05, 23 Sep 2025Updated 07:05, 23 Sep 2025
A man talking to his GP
A GP has explained the major rule changes coming to surgeries across the country from October 1. Among other things, the changes are designed to end the 8am rush where everyone has to call their surgery at 8am to get an appointment.
GP Dr Tim Mercer said that from October 1, all surgeries in England will have to adopt and display the You and Your General Practice Charter. He said: “From October 1, all surgeries will be required to have the new charter, ‘You and your general practice’ and they’ll have to maintain the principles outlined within it.”
As part of the charter, GP surgeries must be open from 8am to 6:30pm, Monday to Friday, according to Dr Mercer, and surgeries can be contacted in person, via a phone call, online or through the NHS app.
Dr Mercer said: “The current system means you contact the surgery and they give you an appointment at some point in the future that kind of meets your request… some level of triage takes place by the receptionist, but clearly the patients are not happy about this.”
Explaining the new system, he said: “Whether you make your request by phone, online or visiting the practice, you have to give us some details and then we can assess what is best for you based on your clinical need. We will consider your request for an appointment or for medical advice and tell you within one working day what will happen next.”
He said that from October 1, your requests could result in an appointment “that day, the subsequent day, or it might just be a text message or advice to go to the pharmacy or another NHS service”.
NHS England’s website adds: “Your practice will decide what is best for you based on your clinical need. Your practice cannot tell you to just call back the next day.”
Dr Mercer said: “Although for the majority of circumstances, we’re going to try to give you what you want because often what the patient wants in the end is what they need – or at least we can negotiate it.”
He added: “Practices can’t just say, ‘Just call back tomorrow at 8am’.”
The NHS adds: “You might be offered a face-to-face appointment or a phone call with a GP or other member of the practice staff, like a nurse or pharmacist. If you have a carer, they can speak for you with your consent.
“You can ask to see a preferred healthcare professional, and the practice will try to meet your request, although you might have to wait longer for that person to be available. It can be helpful to see the same healthcare professional, particularly if you have a long-term health condition.”
Key Changes from 1 October 2025Online Consultation Tool Must Be Active During Core Hours (8am to 6pm)GP practices in England are required to keep online consultation tools open throughout core hours to allow patients to submit non-urgent appointment requests, medication queries, and administrative requests.Safeguards are necessary to prevent urgent clinical issues being submitted via these online routes inadvertently.Practices must actively triage these requests and inform patients what will happen next—automated acknowledgments alone are insufficient.While the contract doesn’t mandate premises to remain open for walk-ins at all times, practices must ensure accessible contact, e.g. via buzzer, monitored phone line, or doorbell system.Publication of ‘You and Your General Practice’ CharterPractices must publish a link to the “You and Your General Practice” (YYGP) patient charter on their website by 1 October 2025.This charter outlines mutual expectations between patients and the practice, covering feedback, accessibility, appointment attendance, and support arrangements.Jess’s Rule (Patient Safety Initiative)From 23 September 2025, NHS England and the Royal College of GPs are rolling out “Jess’s Rule” as a patient safety initiative.Under this “three strikes and rethink” approach, if a patient has attended three consultations without a diagnosis—or symptoms worsen—the GP must reconsider the case, escalate investigations, or seek specialist input.It aims to ensure earlier identification of serious illnesses and reduce diagnostic delays