British Medical Association (BMA) warns GPs against sharing telephony call data with NHSE
The BMA’s GP Committee has cautioned that NHS England may use cloud-based telephony data to performance manage GP practices. GP practices were mandated to submit digital telephony data on eight metrics via national data extraction after changes to the GP contract. The data could be used to identify underperforming practices, prompting the GPC to advise against sharing call volume data with NHSE. NHSE refutes these claims, stating that access to digital telephony data is for supporting general practice teams and enhancing patient experience. Upgraded phone technology was introduced in April 2024 to improve patient access to GP appointments, though the BMA raised concerns about increased costs associated with new systems. NHSE cancelled the £300 million digital pathways framework in June 2024 due to delays. The framework was intended to promote a modern general practice model through digital tools for messaging, consultations, and care navigation. The ‘Delivery plan for recovering access to primary care’ aims to enhance patient access to GPs through better digital telephony and online contact tools. NHSE allocated £48m in funding for ICBs in April 2024 to support digital pathways and demand tools for GPs.
Digital Health News reached out to the BMA for comment but did not receive a response at the time of publication.
