Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to improve the NHS online GP booking service, Anima, with specific reference to people experiencing mental health conditions.

General practices (GPs) are contractually required to provide an online consultation tool, such as Anima, as an option for patients to contact them. These tools are designed to accommodate a wide range of patient needs and to enhance accessibility across different groups of patients, including those with mental health issues.

NHS England requires online consultation systems to meet minimum standards of accessibility and functionality in order to be used by practices, helping to make them easier to use for all patients.

We have introduced a new requirement for GPs to make online appointment requests available throughout the duration of core opening hours, making it more convenient for patients to contact their practice at a time that suits them and offering them greater flexibility in their daily lives. The GP Contract is clear that patients should always have the option of telephoning or visiting their practice in person, and all online tools must always be provided in addition to, rather than as a replacement for, other channels for accessing a GP.