It has been a month since the national shift to all-day digital access came into effect through NHS England’s Modern General Practice Access model, and practices across England are beginning to understand its true impact. Early reports reflect a mixed but meaningful change in the daily rhythm of general practice. For some surgeries, demand has settled into a steadier flow rather than the familiar early morning surge. For others, volume remains high, simply redistributed across more hours and channels.

What is becoming clear is that digital triage performs best when supported by confident internal processes, structured routing pathways and teams who feel prepared. Research into triage implementation from the Primary Care Access Recovery Plan shows that practices that reviewed appointment workflows, invested in staff training and set clear protocols responded more safely and efficiently to patient requests. Receptionists and care coordinators, often the first point of contact, play an essential role by helping patients understand how and when they will be contacted, a finding echoed by Healthwatch England’s digital access insight reports.

Promising examples are already emerging from practices that introduced validated online request tools and used neighbourhood-level collaboration to understand local patterns of need. These shared insights emerging across PCNs align with national evidence showing that digital pathways can improve prioritisation and reduce bottlenecks when integrated well, as detailed in NHS evaluations of online triage models and CQC commentary on access inequality.

Naturally, challenges remain. Digital exclusion continues to affect many patients, especially older adults and people with limited digital literacy, as highlighted repeatedly by CQC State of Care report. Many practices continue to balance online forms with walk-ins, telephone calls and face-to-face conversations that require equal sensitivity and clinical judgement. Ensuring patients receive appropriate follow up, confirming the urgency of each request and directing queries to the right clinician remain essential parts of the process.

Yet the first month has also shown that digital access does not have to mean digital overload. Early evaluations of modern general practice access pathways show they can support clearer prioritisation, better management of same-day demand and more equitable access for people who cannot contact their practice at fixed times.

As more practices refine their approach, shared insights will play an increasingly important role. The months ahead offer opportunities to learn from real examples of transformation across the country. An approach reflected in Best Practice London 2026, where digital triage, operational redesign and neighbourhood collaboration will be explored through practical, real-world case studies that teams can apply in their own settings.

Digital access is now part of the fabric of general practice. The challenge is ensuring it strengthens the front door rather than widening the workload behind it. Early experiences suggest that with the right support, it can become a genuine asset that enables timely, safe and equitable care.