If you cannot get a GP appointment, contact your surgery online, by phone or in person and explain what you need. Your surgery should look at your request rather than tell you to try again another day. A pharmacy, NHS 111 or an urgent treatment centre may also be able to help.
In short:
- Your GP surgery should assess your request. NHS England says they must not ask you to call back another day.
- A pharmacist can treat some common conditions without a GP appointment.
- NHS 111 can direct you to an urgent treatment centre, an out-of-hours GP or other help.
- If you feel let down by your surgery, you can raise it with them. If you think it's unfair, you have the option to complain to them or to your local integrated care board (ICB).
What should your GP surgery do when you ask for an appointment?
Your GP surgery should look at your request and tell you what happens next. They should not ask you to call back or get in touch again on another day.
NHS England is changing the GP contract (opens in a new tab) so that:
- surgeries must not ask you to call back, or make contact, on another day
- surgeries must deal with requests they decide are clinically urgent on the same day
- online medical request forms must not close partway through the day between 8am and 6.30pm, Monday to Friday
Before booking, the surgery may ask what you need help with. This helps them decide how soon you need to be seen and who is the right person to see you. That might be a GP, nurse, clinical pharmacist or physiotherapist. The appointment could be face to face or a telephone consultation.
These rules apply to GP surgeries in England. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have their own arrangements.
What can you try if you can't get through?
If the phone lines are busy, there are other ways to contact your surgery. According to the NHS guide to GP appointments and bookings (opens in a new tab), you can:
- log in to the NHS App or the NHS website
- fill in the online medical request form on your surgery's website
- visit the surgery and speak to reception
Ask about evening and Saturday appointments. You can get these from 6.30pm to 8pm on weekdays and from 9am to 5pm on Saturdays. They'll be at your surgery, another local surgery or another local NHS service.
Where else can you get help without a GP appointment?
You do not always need to see a GP. Depending on what you need help for, you can use:
- a pharmacy
- NHS 111
- an urgent treatment centre
- services you can refer yourself to
Pharmacists can give advice and treat minor illnesses with no appointment. Through Pharmacy First, they can also give prescription medicine for some conditions. These include sore throat, sinusitis, earache, shingles and urinary tract infections in women. Check with the pharmacy first that it offers the service.
Use NHS 111 online (111.nhs.uk) or call 111 if you think you need medical help now and cannot reach your GP. It can send you to an out-of-hours GP, an urgent treatment centre, a nurse callback or a pharmacist.
Urgent treatment centres treat urgent problems that are not life-threatening, such as sprains, suspected broken bones, rashes and high temperatures. You do not need to be registered with a GP to use one.
For anxiety and depression, you can refer yourself to NHS talking therapies (opens in a new tab) without seeing a GP. You need to be 18 or over (16 or over in some areas).
Should you change GP surgery?
If you often struggle to get appointments, you can move to another NHS GP surgery near your home.
With Bookable, you can see appointment availability at surgeries near you and register online in about 10 minutes with no documents. You can book your first appointment at the same time. It's free.
Registering with a new surgery deregisters you and moves your care away from your current one.
What if you're unhappy with your GP surgery?
If you feel let down by your surgery, start by talking to them about it. If you think it's unfair, you have the option to complain. Details of their complaints process are usually on their website. Following the NHS England complaints guidance (opens in a new tab):
- You can complain to the surgery or to your local integrated care board (ICB). The ICB is the NHS organisation that plans health services in your area. You can choose one, but not both.
- Make your complaint within 12 months of what happened, or of when you found out about it. You can do this in person, by phone, in writing or by email.
- You should get a reply within 3 working days offering to discuss your complaint.
- If you're still unhappy at the end, you can ask the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman to look at it. It makes final decisions on NHS complaints in England.
An NHS complaints advocate can help you for free. Your local Healthwatch (opens in a new tab) can tell you how to find one.
When should you call 999 or 111 instead?
Do not wait for a GP appointment in an emergency. Call 999 for life-threatening emergencies, such as a stroke, a heart attack or a serious road accident. Find out when to call 999 on the NHS website (opens in a new tab).
Not sure if it's an emergency? Use 111 online (111.nhs.uk) or call 111. Call 111 rather than going online if you're asking about a child under 5.
Common questions
Can my GP surgery tell me to ring back tomorrow?
They should not. Your surgery should look at your request and tell you what happens next.
Can I go to A&E if I can't get a GP appointment?
A&E is for serious injuries and life-threatening emergencies. For urgent problems that are not life-threatening, use NHS 111, a pharmacy or an urgent treatment centre instead.
Can I see a different GP surgery if I'm not registered there?
If you're not registered with a GP, you can contact any surgery for emergency treatment for up to 14 days. For ongoing care, you need to register with a surgery.
Who do I complain to if my GP surgery ignores my complaint?
If you're unhappy after the surgery or your local integrated care board has dealt with your complaint, you can take it to the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman. It is free to use.
Can a pharmacist give me antibiotics without seeing a GP?
Through Pharmacy First, pharmacists in England can give some prescription medicines for certain conditions, if it's right for you. These include sore throat and urinary tract infections in women. You do not need an appointment.
Sources
- Appointments and bookings at your GP surgery (opens in a new tab) (NHS)
- Changes to the GP Contract in 2026/27 (opens in a new tab) (NHS England)
- How pharmacies can help (opens in a new tab) (NHS)
- When to use NHS 111 online or call 111 (opens in a new tab) (NHS)
- When to go to an urgent treatment centre (UTC) (opens in a new tab) (NHS)
- Feedback and complaints about NHS services (opens in a new tab) (NHS England)
- Find your local Healthwatch (opens in a new tab) (Healthwatch England)