Advantages of online GP booking systems | Letters

Martin Giebner says the problem is the mismatch between demand and capacity, not how appointments are booked, while Jonathan Hauxwell thinks online systems create better-targeted appointments

GPs in England are missing a trick (GPs in England threaten action over online appointment booking plan, 29 September). The point about non-urgent GP appointments is that they do not need triage – if a patient wants to see a primary care clinician for a routine concern, they can do so, whatever the issue.

The number of routine slots available remains the same, and allowing people to book them online will reduce, not increase, workload by freeing up reception staff for other admin tasks, and making it easier to get through on the phone for urgent appointments. It’s urgent requests, not routine ones, that need triage.