A new set of standards was announced by the Minister for Health and Social Services in March 2019.

These standards are intended to raise and improve the level of service patients in Wales receive from their GP practices.

The standards

GP practices are expected to:

  • have a telephone system with a recording function for incoming and outgoing lines, which can stack calls and allow call data to be analysed
  • have a bilingual telephone introduction message in Welsh and English that lasts no longer than 2 minutes in total
  • make sure patients and care homes can order repeat prescriptions digitally
  • allow patients to digitally request a non-urgent appointment or call back during core hours, with the necessary governance arrangements in place
  • publish information online about access requirements, how patients can access services, and how to request urgent, routine and advanced consultations
  • offer a same-day consultation for children under 16 with acute presentations
  • offer a same-day consultation for patients clinically triaged as needing an urgent assessment
  • offer pre-bookable appointments during core hours
  • actively signpost patients to appropriate services available through the practice cluster, the Local Health Board, or local and national services
GP access standards poster