For many of us, the phone is still the most common way to reach our GP.
In fact, the GP Patient Survey 2025 found that 62% of people contacted their GP surgery by phone the last time they tried. It’s familiar, it’s personal, and when you’re not well, it just feels simpler.
But as the NHS becomes more “digital-first”, it’s easy to worry about a digital divide – a concern that patients who don’t go online might be left behind. That shouldn’t happen. Access to care shouldn’t depend on how confident we are with technology, but what works best for each of us.
At X-on Health, we believe real progress comes by improving the ways patients already trust. So, we build technology around patients, not the other way round.
“Equity in access doesn’t mean everyone using the same channel, it means everyone can reach care and support through whichever channel suits their needs, without being disadvantaged.”
Sharon, Director of Primary Care, X-on Health
Understanding the digital divide in everyday care
For many patients, digital tools make access to healthcare services quicker and more convenient. For others, they can feel like a closed door—the very experience that fuels today’s concerns about a widening digital divide.
Ofcom research into internet adoption in 2024 estimated that 2.8 million people in the UK do not have internet access, and 69% of those say they have “no need” or are “not interested” in getting it. Many will be the same people who rely on the telephone to speak to a GP or physically go into the practice. These are often older adults, people with accessibility or language barriers, or those living in rural areas with limited connectivity. They’re also among the patients who most need consistent contact with their GP. When getting through feels complicated, or when online forms feel confusing, it’s more than an inconvenience, it’s a barrier to care.
“Digital-first” doesn’t mean “digital-only”. Modern access should give every patient choice – call, click, or come in – and still lead to the same outcome: getting the right help, first time. The phone is not a thing of the past. It’s part of a smarter, more inclusive future where we unlock equitable patient access through technology.
How inclusive design bridges the digital divide
Imagine calling your GP and speaking naturally about what’s wrong, without being put on hold for ages or having to fill out a form online. Experiences like this show how thoughtful design can bridge the digital divide rather than widen it, and that’s exactly the idea behind X-on Health’s Omni Consultation that is accessible by voice and text.
So, how does voice technology enhance patient access?
When a patient rings their practice, Omni Consultation uses clear text-to-speech technology to ask a few simple questions – the same ones found in an online consultation form. The information is gathered automatically and shared with the practice team for triage.
For patients, it feels like a straightforward conversation. For staff, it means the same structured data and workflow, whichever way a patient gets in touch.
It works alongside other access routes too:
- Phone – patients can talk through their request
- Web – those confident online can use the same form via the practice website or digital assistant
- In person or by staff – reception teams can complete the same form for patients who walk in
Every entry lands in the same Forms tab in the practice’s system, giving staff one clear view of everything that’s come in via different routes. Even incomplete calls are logged so the team can follow up, making sure nobody is missed.
There’s no app to download, no login to remember and no risk of getting lost in a queue. Just clear, consistent access for everyone.
When the digital divide disappears for patients
Let’s put this into context.
Mrs Evans, 82, likes to speak to people, not screens. When she receives an invitation for her flu jab, she picks up the phone. This time, a friendly automated voice asks her a few questions and helps her to book her flu jab. Within minutes, it’s confirmed — no internet required, and no risk of being left behind by the digital divide.
Next door lives Sarah, a working parent. Between school runs and shifts, she doesn’t have time to call. She books her own flu jab online through a quick link from the practice. Her request goes through the same triage process and lands in the same queue as Mrs Evans’.
Both receive confirmation. Both get care quickly. Two very different patients, one connected system.
Why fixing the digital divide helps practices too
When every patient interaction – online, by phone or face-to-face – feeds into one shared workflow, practices can focus on what patients actually need rather than juggling systems. This joined-up view is exactly what helps close the digital divide, because no patient request is treated differently based on how it arrived. Reception teams don’t have to retype information. Clinicians see complete, accurate details before they call a patient back.
That means fewer repeat calls, faster decisions and safer care. It’s better for patients, and for the people trying to help them.
“When every request feeds into the same triage workflow, practices can finally plan their day around need, not demand.”
Sharon, Director of Primary Care, X-on Health
A future where the digital divide doesn’t exist
The NHS’s Fit for the Future 10-Year Health Plan talks about neighbourhood services that are “digitally by default, but locally accessible.” To patients, that means care that’s easy to access in whatever way is right for them.
Tools like Voice Agents, automated callbacks and triage dashboards make this vision real. They don’t replace human connection; they protect it. By removing the small barriers like long waits, lost forms and the fear of getting it wrong online, technology gives every patient the same chance to be heard.
Because the digital divide isn’t fixed, it’s something we can design out of society.
For Mrs Evans, that means a friendly voice on the phone.
For Sarah, it’s a quick click between shifts.
For both, it’s care that works for them, and that’s exactly how it should be.