How will the new GP contract improve your experience at your local practice?
We explore what is changing for people when they need a GP appointment.
The Government have confirmed changes to how GP practices will need to deliver patient care from 1 April 2026.
Under the GP contract for 2026-2027, £457m will be made available to help recruit more GPs, deal with urgent patients more quickly and ensure GP practices deliver high-quality clinical care.
Usually, the government only consults with the British Medical Association on the GP contract, but this year it formally sought views and evidence from Healthwatch England, National Voices (a coalition of health and care charities) and professional bodies including the Royal College of GPs.
In the talks, Healthwatch England used feedback from across the Healthwatch network - including Milton Keynes - about problems accessing GP services.
Six key changes for patients
1. You should not be told to ‘call back tomorrow’
The contract for 2026/27 says that GP practices must not ask patients to call back to book an appointment on another day. For requests that are not clinically urgent, practices still need to provide a timely response confirming the next steps, and the government says this must be by the end of the next working day.
This does not mean your request must be fully dealt with by then, but it does mean you should understand how and when your issue will be managed.
This change aims to reduce the number of times people need to contact their GP surgery for an appointment, and the uncertainty around when they might be seen.
2. Clinically urgent requests should get a same-day response
If a GP or appropriately-trained professional thinks your concern is 'clinically urgent' you must receive a same-day response. In 90% of cases, the government wants same-day care delivered to these patients.
This change does not always mean a face-to-face appointment will be offered that day, but it should mean you are assessed and told what happens next.
3. Online request systems should not cap requests during core hours
GP practices must not cap the number of requests that patients put through GP online consultation systems during core hours. This is intended to avoid a situation of online forms being closed partway through the day, which can push people onto busy phone lines or force them to try again later.
The government says this change is about ensuring that people can choose their preferred booking method - whether online, phone or walk-in – and know any of these options will be available during core opening hours. This aims to help reduce inequalities – for example, allowing working people who can’t phone and wait for the GP practice to answer, to instead submit an online request during a break.
4. GP practices must clearly show how and when you can contact them
GP practices will have to display opening times for walk-in, telephone and online consultations on their website, in practice leaflets and in the practice building. As a minimum, the opening times must be 8:00 am to 6:30 pm, Monday to Friday.
The government says this is intended to improve transparency for patients and make information more consistent.
Clearer information should reduce confusion about when appointments are available and make it easier for patients to understand the options available to them.
5. Advice and Guidance will be used more often before referrals
Practices will be required to use Advice and Guidance before, or instead of, a planned care referral where clinically appropriate, in line with locally agreed referral pathways.
For patients, this could mean that your GP seeks specialist advice before referring you straight to the hospital. The government says this can reduce unnecessary referrals, but it also acknowledges that careful implementation is needed to avoid adding pressure on GP practices.
6. Registration goes online, and vulnerable people won’t lose their registration
All patients joining a surgery for the first time will have to use the national online registration system to register at a GP surgery.
If you can’t use the online form, you can bring in a paper registration form, and the practice staff will have to enter the information into the national online system. The government says it is intended to streamline registration processes and reduce variation between practices, with protections for non-digital and assisted routes set out in guidance.
The government has also decided to retain a three-month grace period before removing people from their GP list if national data suggests they’ve left the country.
Have your say
We are keen to hear about your experiences of getting a GP appointment, referrals, same-day appointments, registering with a practice, and if these changes improve things for you and your family.
