Health Secretary Slams Doctors’ Union as Online GP Bookings Surge Across England

Health Secretary Wes Streeting has strongly criticized the British Medical Association (BMA), the doctors’ union, describing their opposition to the nationwide rollout of online GP appointment booking as “moaning minnies.” This comes as government efforts to modernize access to general practice services gather significant momentum.

The BMA is currently in a formal dispute with the government following a directive for all GP practices in England to provide patients with the option to book non-urgent appointments online, effective from the start of October. Latest data indicates that more than 98% of surgeries are now compliant with this mandate, a development Streeting applauded, stating that it was “about time the NHS caught up with the rest of the 21st century.”

However, the doctors’ union has voiced concerns, suggesting that the rapid shift could potentially jeopardize patient safety and overwhelm already stretched practices. Streeting countered these claims, remarking, “GPs have really embraced this. You would think from listening to some of the moaning minnies in the BMA that GPs have been resistant, they’re not doing this. Actually the overwhelming majority have, and I’m thankful to them.”

Millenium TV has learned that new figures reveal a significant shift in how patients are engaging with their doctors. Data spanning three weeks from mid-September shows that just over 43% of individuals contacted their GP surgery online—a one-percentage-point increase from the preceding month—surpassing the 41% who opted for phone contact. Streeting hailed these statistics as “a massive step” towards fulfilling the government’s pledge to eliminate the perennial “8am scramble for appointments.”

The government’s mandate requires online appointment booking systems to operate between 08:30 and 18:00, Monday to Friday. Beyond requesting non-urgent consultations, the platforms enable patients to pose questions, describe symptoms, and request a callback. Yet, the BMA argues that patient safety is at risk because urgent requests are not being adequately triaged—meaning the most serious cases are not consistently prioritized—leading to overwhelmed practices.

Dr. David Wrigley, the deputy chair of the BMA’s General Practice Committee for England, expressed his concern, stating that “The government has merely increased the potential for patient safety issues to arise.” He further explained that “The software simply does not filter out routine from urgent requests.”

Patient advocacy group Healthwatch England has also raised various concerns, noting that some patients have not been sufficiently informed about the changes, particularly that online booking is not suitable for emergencies. The group also reported instances of practices limiting online bookings to morning hours and highlighted difficulties faced by less digitally literate individuals in navigating the new system.

Jess Harvey, a GP based in Shropshire and a BMA member, told Millenium TV that surgeries are already “saturated and working at full capacity.” She emphasized that while GPs desire to be responsive, there is now an “open floodgate for people to contact us,” and “there is also a reality here that we have to work safely.” She further accused the government of “created unrealistic expectations for patients,” adding, “If they want us to do this extra work, it has to be funded for it to be done safely.”

In response to these criticisms, the government has affirmed that it has allocated additional funding this year and recruited 2,500 more GPs, although some of these positions are part-time.