Access inequality remains a significant challenge across the NHS, with access to general practice being worse in more deprived areas where the need is higher (Marmot Review 10 years on, 2020)1. Whether due to language barriers, rigid working hours, low digital literacy or the infamous “8am rush”, too many patients still struggle to access the care they need when and how they need it.
But equitable patient access doesn’t mean forcing everyone down the same path. It means offering multiple, inclusive ways for people to engage with their GP practice—online, by phone or in person—without delay or disadvantage. In the government’s ‘Fit for the future: 10 Year Health Plan for England’, “science and technology will be key to that reinvention”. With the right digital tools working together behind the scenes, practices can create a front door that’s always open and easy to navigate.
Let’s explore how technology, when designed and implemented thoughtfully, can help build that front door and support a more equitable patient journey from first contact through to consultation.
Expand patient access beyond the phone with intelligent navigation
For many patients, their care journey starts with a simple question: Where do I go for help? With an intelligent, AI-powered care navigation assistant, patients get the answer instantly, at any time of day.
Digital chatbots like Surgery Assist enable patients to describe their needs in their own words and receive personalised, guided support in return. Whether it’s directing someone to the NHS App, flagging a self-referral option or providing information about local services in support of a neighbourhood NHS , this approach gives people agency, especially those who might struggle to get through on the phone.
With support in multiple languages and a design that prioritises accessibility, this kind of digital assistant plays a key role in driving more equitable patient access. It helps patients make better use of the NHS App and other self-service options, nudging digital confidence and adoption at a pace that suits them. As for practices, it helps reduce avoidable phone calls, freeing up time to focus on patients who need more direct support.
Lay the foundation for equitable patient access with Cloud telephony
Of course, digital-first doesn’t mean digital-only. For many patients, the phone remains their preferred or only route to care. Ensuring this channel is inclusive and efficient is critical to creating a digital front door for more equitable patient access.
Advanced Cloud-based telephony systems like Surgery Connect are transforming how practices manage incoming demand. Features such as unlimited lines, intelligent call routing and automated callback options help to eliminate long wait times and reduce missed calls. No one should be disadvantaged because they can only call during peak hours or don’t have the means to stay on hold.
Furthermore, these systems enable practices to deliver helpful prompts via SMS, including links to book appointments online or use the NHS App. This supports a blended access model that meets people where they are while gently introducing them to digital options when appropriate.
Drive better patient access through better conversations
Equitable patient access doesn’t stop at contacting the practice. It’s also about the quality of the interaction once the patient arrives, whether that’s virtually or in person.
Ambient voice technology (AVT), like that used in Surgery Intellect, supports clinicians during consultations by transcribing and structuring notes in real-time. This removes the burden of typing, enabling GPs to maintain eye contact, actively listen and respond more meaningfully to patients’ concerns.
By automating follow-up tasks such as referral letters and coding, AVT can also help accelerate the time to care, which is particularly beneficial for those with more complex needs or for whom English isn’t their first language. By empowering care through technology that listens, every patient receives more focused attention, and clinicians have the opportunity to spend more time doing what they do best: caring.
Looking ahead, this technology has potential beyond the consultation room. Embedding AVT into phone calls or reception interactions could drive more equitable patient access, particularly for those unable or unwilling to use a chatbot. By supporting natural conversation, even outside clinical spaces, AVT opens the door to more people accessing the care they need.
Use data to sustain equitable patient access
Improving access starts with understanding it. Without visibility into how patients interact with services, where bottlenecks exist or who isn’t engaging at all, it’s hard for practices to know where to act.
This is where tools like Surgery Insights come in. By consolidating data from multiple sources— phone, digital, online consultation, and the NHS App— into one dashboard, practices gain a real-time picture of patient behaviour. They can identify groups with low uptake of digital tools, track peak call volumes and monitor missed appointments, allowing for better resource planning and targeted outreach that supports QOF requirements.
Being able to access data from tools like Surgery Assist also helps teams refine their support pathways, making them more relevant, more inclusive and more effective.
A unified approach for equitable patient access
No single tool can solve access inequality. But when voice, data and digital navigation work together, the result is a connected system that helps every patient get the right support first time, every time.
This is the foundation of our digital front door approach: not just more technology, but better-connected, human-centred solutions that flex to the needs of each community. By reducing friction and supporting a variety of access preferences, this approach helps create a fairer experience for everyone.
Equitable patient access doesn’t happen by chance. It takes careful implementation of the right technology that works together in the background to make access simple, seamless and inclusive.
Ready to build a more equitable patient access model?
Start with tools that respect every patient’s starting point and every practice’s reality.