A new set of standards were announced by the Minister for Health and Social Services in March 2019. These standards aim to raise and improve the level of service patients in Wales receive from their GP practices.

General Practice Access Standards

These standards are set out below.

  1. Have a telephone system with a recording function for incoming and outgoing lines, that stacks calls and allows for the analysis of call data.
  2. Have a telephone introduction message recorded bilingually in Welsh and English that, in total, lasts no longer than 2 minutes.
  3. Ensure that patients and care homes can order repeatable prescriptions digitally.
  4. For the duration of core hours, ensure that patients can digitally request a non-urgent appointment or a call back, and that the necessary governance arrangements are in place for this process.
  5. Publicise information via the practice’s online resource on:
    • the access requirements specified in paragraph 4
    • how patients can access the contractor’s services
    • how patients can request an urgent, routine and advanced consultation
  6. Offer a same-day consultation for:
    • children under 16 with acute presentations
    • patients clinically triaged as requiring an urgent assessment
  7. Offer pre-bookable appointments to take place during core hours.
  8. Actively signpost patients to appropriate services:
    • available from members of the contractor’s cluster
    • provided or commissioned by the Local Health Board
    • available locally or nationally

Access standards poster

General Practice Access Standards poster