The areas where more than 80pc of GP appointments are remote

More than eight in 10 GP appointments across some areas of Cambridgeshire, Manchester and Hampshire are held remotely, new data reveal.

The NHS has published figures for the first time showing the number of in-person appointments held by every GP surgery in England.

It reveals more than one in three GP practices are doing more appointments remotely than face to face.

The release of the data comes after calls from patients and ministers for practices to be held to account for failing to see patients in-person during the pandemic.

It is hoped the publication will improve transparency about practice performance and help patients when picking a surgery.

Meanwhile, official complaints about GPs made by patients have risen by almost 40 per cent in one year.

Data published by NHS Digital shows 120,064 complaints in 2021/22 - up from 86,114 the previous year.

The report shows that 15 per cent of concerns related to clinical treatment, while 13 per cent were about communication and 11 per cent related to staff attitude, behaviours and values. A third of complaints were upheld.

The new data, released by NHS Digital, includes figures for all GP practices in England which submitted data.

It breaks down GP appointments by mode, including face to face, home visits, telephone calls and video or online consultations.

The Telegraph analysed the figures by the proportion of appointments held in-person versus remotely to reveal the local areas with the highest rates of remote consultations. Unknown appointment modes are excluded from the analysis.

Patients under the care of Ely North Primary Care Network (PCN) - which represents six GP practices within Cambridgeshire - were the least likely to be seen in person last month.

Some 84.5 per cent of GP consultations carried out by the PCN were held remotely, the data show.

Better Health MCR PCN, which represents three practices across Greater Manchester, held 83 per cent of its appointments remotely, while Rural West PCN, which represents two surgeries in Hampshire, held 82.6 per cent of their appointments remotely.

Before Covid, around 80 per cent of appointments were held in person, the latest nationwide figure is around 66 per cent.

Market Harborough and Bosworth PCN - which cares for more than 28,000 patients in Leicestershire - had the lowest percentage of remote appointments last month at just 0.4 per cent.

Of the 6,170 practices which submitted data, 2,008 are holding more appointments remotely via telephone or video calls than in-person - 32.4 per cent.

The Telegraph analysis of the data relates to GP-held appointments only, rather than other practice staff.

Of the 2,008 practices, at least 50.1 per cent of the GP appointments were held remotely in October.

The data also show only two per cent of GP practices are seeing all of their patients within two weeks.

Ministers have pledged that all patients should be able to get an appointment in a fortnight.

Of the 6,170 practices included in the analysis, just 134 saw all their patients within the two-week timeframe.

GP leaders criticised the decision to publish the granular figures, warning it would create “league tables” that do not reflect the pressures some practices are under.

Dr Kieran Sharrock, deputy chair of GPC England at the British Medical Association (BMA), said the data was “really no more than a way to ‘name and shame’ practices when the morale of dedicated staff is at rock bottom”.

He said: “It is not possible to define why there is variation between practices in terms of the type and timing of appointments being offered to their patients.

“With more than 6,000 practices in England, there will obviously be some differences in the way they operate and how staff provide care for their local communities.”

Patient choice and the size and age of the practice population will impact how they operate, he added.

Speaking ahead of the data release, Steve Barclay, Health and Social Care Secretary, said: “We promised to prioritise patients and improve access and that is exactly what we have done – and this is just the start.”