Doctors’ leaders have voted in favour of GP practices refusing to comply with the requirement to make online consultation tools available throughout core hours.
Changes to the GP contract, which came into effect on 1 October 2025, require GP practices to keep their online consultation tools running throughout the day, allowing patients to request appointments, ask questions and describe symptoms.
However, the British Medical Association (BMA) has repeatedly made claims that the government broke its agreement regarding safeguards for GP online access, which the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) denies.
At the England Local Medical Committees (LMC) conference, which took place in Manchester on 7 November 2025, a motion was passed for GPs to refuse online access compliance, for online access to be curtailed when safe working limits have been reached and to demand the removal of the government mandate.
LMC leaders called for the “immediate removal” of the online access mandates, which they said “reduce care to box-ticking targets and put patients at risk”.
Dr Tom Dolphin, BMA council chair, told Digital Health News: “Our GP committee repeatedly warned the government that making promises to the public it could not keep about online access would push some practices to the brink, reduce available appointments and risk urgent queries being missed.
“Having been at the LMC conference of grassroots GPs on Friday, the frustration of my colleagues working at the coalface of general practice could not have been clearer,” he added.
LMCs will now ask BMA to prepare new options for collective action, including non-compliance with the requirements, should the government refuse to revise them.
A motion was also passed at the LMC expressing dissatisfaction with the NHS 10 year health plan, specifically around the new General Medical Services contract.
Last week, Stephen Kinnock, care minister, held a meeting with integrated care board (ICBs) leaders last week to identify areas of England that are struggling to roll out online access to primary care.
In a statement, Kinnock said: “The current leadership of the BMA, whether on the GP committee or resident doctors committee, seem determined to turn their organisation into a farce.
“We’ve always been clear that we want to work constructively with the BMA – but they stand resolutely in the way of changes vital for patient care, and for the progress their members want to see too.
“This latest escalation is founded on untruths and will put patient safety at risk at a critical time ahead of winter.
“It’s ludicrous to say the government has betrayed general practice – we have placed GPs at the heart of our 10 year health plan, provided a funding boost of £1.1 billion, recruited 2,500 more GPs and cut red tape – as well as launched a review into the distribution of GP funding.”
The DHSC said that it will support practices that are struggling with the new requirements, but if GPs refuse to meet their contractual duties, NHS ICBs can take formal action, including issuing warning notices, applying sanctions or in serious cases, ending contracts.
