GPs threatened with breach notices on day two of online access contract change

Exclusive Several GP practices in West Yorkshire were threatened with contract breach notices yesterday after the new online consultation requirements came into effect on Wednesday, Pulse understands.

GPs are now contractually required to keep online systems open for patient requests between 8am and 6.30pm for routine enquiries regardless of capacity, and ICBs have been told by NHS England that they should ensure the changes are implemented.

A GP in West Yorkshire, who asked to remain anonymous, told Pulse that every practice in their PCN received ‘breach messages’ yesterday and that the situation has felt ‘stressful’ as it has created ‘unrealistic expectations’.

When asked by Pulse if any practices in the area had received messages from the ICB saying they were in breach of contract, the ICB told Pulse it has ‘not formally notified any practices or PCNs of contract breach’ but that practices ‘have been made aware that plans towards achieving compliance may be required’.

The BMA GP committee has previously warned that GPs would struggle to implement the requirements safely, and that practices would be accused of breaching their contractual obligations should they reach capacity, and has now entered formal dispute with the Government over the changes.

And in an exclusive interview with Pulse, GPC chair Dr Katie Bramall said that ‘senior Government advisors’ indicated they were not out to get practices over the contractual change and they had ‘no interest in breach noticing any practice’.

The West Yorkshire GP told Pulse: ‘We worked really hard Wednesday making sure we had switched everything on to [the ICB’s] satisfaction but trying to make it safe.

‘First thing on Thursday morning my practice manager told me we had already had a breach notice. She went to a PCN meeting in the afternoon and every practice had breach notices. It feels stressful, the ICB should be otherwise occupied.’

The GP also added the requirements are putting ‘impossible demands’ on practices, and that messaging around the changes from the Government has been promising ‘unlimited access’ by comparing GP appointments to takeaway orders or hairdressers’ appointments.

It comes after the health secretary said earlier this week that the changes are designed to make booking a GP appointment ‘as easy as booking a takeaway’ and said that ‘many GPs’ already offer this ‘because they have changed with the times’.

The GP said: ‘We do not have capacity to offer unlimited access. We need more GPs to offer more capacity which the Government needs to pay for. Just shouting at us or putting impossible demands on us will not give more appointments, just more unrealistic expectation.

‘The Government is keen to compare us to hairdressers and taxi drivers. I am going to hairdressers’ today, I go every six weeks and book two appointments in advance as if she has no slots, she has no slots.

‘Yet the Government feels adding in more and more ways of contacting GPs will magically make more appointments, it just doesn’t.

‘If you are seeing a patient, you can’t see another at the same time. I could go on and on. They need to let us employ more GPs by giving us more money, then capacity will increase.’

A West Yorkshire ICB spokesperson said: ‘We have not formally notified any practices or PCNs of contract breach. Where they may currently present as non-compliant in NHSE and ICB data relating to the GP contract updates taking effect from 1 October 2025, practices have been made aware that plans towards achieving compliance may be required.’

NHS England clarified that GP practices are only allowed to switch off online consultation tools in core hours in ‘exceptional circumstances’ and with ICB approval.