image attribution Jocelyn Kinghorn

Helping GP Practices Meet NHS England’s New Access Standards

From 1 October 2025, GP practices must keep an online consultation tool open throughout core hours (08:00–18:30) for non-urgent appointment requests, medication queries and admin requests. This change is set out in NHS England’s 2025/26 GP Contract update and FAQ guidance.

This sits within the Modern General Practice model: integrate digital access (e.g., Accurx, eConsult, Engage Consult, Rapid Health) with care navigation and telephony so patients can contact you easily, be triaged safely, and get the right outcome first time.

What about call answering times?

NHS England is publishing and analysing Cloud-Based Telephony (CBT) data to improve access and reduce queues, but it hasn’t set a single national “10-minute” phone standard. Some ICBs are setting local KPIs (e.g., “respond to calls within 10 minutes”). If you operate in those areas, you’ll need to evidence your performance.

Why this matters now

From October 2025:

• Your online consultation route must be available all day during core hours, not just at specific times.

• Practices are expected to optimise CBT and phone journeys as part of Modern General Practice, with data used for improvement and assurance.

• ICBs may apply local phone KPIs (e.g., answer within 10 minutes) tied to access funding and oversight.

  
  

How Ideoshift helps GP practices hit the standard

We provide primary-care-specialist call handling and digital-first access operations that slot into what you already use:

• Fast, consistent phone answer: trained GP call handlers reduce queue times and improve first-contact resolution; CBT analytics help you prove performance to your ICB.

• Total digital triage alignment: we integrate with the platforms you use (Accurx, eConsult, Engage Consult, Rapid Health) so online + phone demand enters one triage queue with safe signposting.

• Evidence & assurance: dashboards show call volumes, wait times, and outcomes alongside online demand, matching what NHS England and ICBs want to see.

We’re already operating at scale in one of the largest GP practices in England (the fourth largest nationally), answering hundreds of calls every day—safely, quickly, and consistently.

What to do before 1 October 2025

1. Keep online consultations open during core hours and make sure your website patient charter reflects this change.

2. Tune your CBT (call flows, queueing rules, callbacks, peak-time routing); use NHS England’s telephony guide as a checklist.

3. Unify demand so phone and online requests feed the same triage/care-navigation process (“Modern General Practice”).

4. Track & evidence: monitor call-answer times, abandoned calls, and same-day responses; export CBT data for ICB reporting.

5. Plan for local KPIs: if your ICB has a 10-minute call answer target or similar, configure staffing and overflow to meet it.

FAQs

Do we have to keep online consultations open all day?

Yes—from 1 Oct 2025, online consultation tools must stay open during core hours for non-urgent requests, meds queries and admin.

Is there a national “answer the phone within 10 minutes” rule?

Not nationally. NHS England is pushing CBT data and access improvement, while some ICBs are setting local 10-minute targets. Check your ICB’s policy.

Where can we read the official guidance?

Start with 2025/26 GP Contract changes, Online Consultations FAQ, and Modern General Practice + Telephony guides.

Sources

NHS England – GP Contract 2025/26: Supporting Guidance and FAQs
https://www.england.nhs.uk/gp/contract-changes-2025-26/

NHS England – Online Consultations: Core Hours Requirement (2025/26 FAQ)
https://www.england.nhs.uk/gp/online-consultations-core-hours-faq/

NHS England – Modern General Practice Access Model
https://www.england.nhs.uk/primary-care/modern-general-practice-access/

NHS England – Cloud-Based Telephony (CBT) for GP Practices: Implementation Guide
https://www.england.nhs.uk/primary-care/digital-gp-it/cloud-based-telephony/

NHS England – Delivery Plan for Recovering Access to Primary Care (May 2023)
https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/delivery-plan-for-recovering-access-to-primary-care/

NHS North West London ICB – Access Framework 2024/25
https://www.nwlondonicb.nhs.uk/publications/access-framework-2024-25.pdf

Work with Ideoshift

We’ll help you meet NHS England’s requirements while improving patient experience and reducing staff pressure. If you’re gearing up for the 1 October 2025 changes—or need to hit ICB call-answer KPIs—we can deploy quickly and evidence results.

Email hello@ideoshift.co.uk to get started.