The '8am fight' for a GP appointment set to end in South Yorkshire & North Derbyshire
It's as the appointment booking system looks set to change nationally
People in South Yorkshire & North Derbyshire needing a doctor's appointment will no longer have to 'fight for a slot' in the '8am rush' when surgeries open.
That's because from today - GP practices must offer online booking options in working hours for patients.
Dr Rasitha Perera is a GP in Sheffield - He explains why the changes are being brought in:
"What a lot of these online systems are doing is pushing things more towards a triage system.
"So, the benefits for patients is that any request is looked at by a clinician - who can look at the urgency of that request and signpost people into the right service.
"I think if people feel like they need to see a GP on the day, then I'd still encourage people to put in a request earlier in the day - just because that will help us with availability and knowing who to signpost patients to.
"Most surgeries will have a process of letting patients know how this actually works in practice - so, if you're someone that uses a GP surgery often - I would really encourage patients to find out from their own practice what that process is & if that has changed.
"I'd like to think that by being able to triage patients more that we ensure that the right people are getting the right support.
"This means the most vulnerable people on the day will get the support they need."
However, the British Medical Association says the extension of digital booking to everyone will overload GP's and risk patient safety.