PARLIAMENTARY WRITTEN QUESTION
General Practitioners: Telemedicine (27 January 2022)

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will hold discussions with representatives of mobile operators on zero-rating GP websites to ensure that virtual GP appointments do not rely on internet data plans.

Asked by:
Dame Siobhain McDonagh (Labour)

General practices are independent contractors and manage their websites. In March 2020 the Government worked with Vodafone, EE, O2 and Three to secure free online access to the following websites:

- NHS.UK;

- 111.nhs.uk;

- wales.nhs.uk;

- nhsinform.scot;

- nidirect.gov.uk; and

- publichealth.hscni.net.

These provisions were temporary and ceased at the end of 2020. There are currently no further plans to zero-rate these or general practice websites.

Patient preferences should be taken into account to determine the most appropriate consultation method and online tools must be provided in addition to, rather than as a replacement for, other channels. Patients unable to access video consultations for any reason should therefore be offered an alternative appointment mode.

Answered by:
Maria Caulfield (Conservative)
21 March 2022