Sussex GP practices delivered more than 1 million appointments in July 2025, reflecting the ongoing efforts of local teams to improve access and meet patient demand.

This is the second time this year that the number of appointments have surpassed a million across Sussex.

The total number of appointments cover face to face, online, video and home visits.

Of the 1,008,304 appointments, more than 593,000 were provided face to face. A further 263,000 took place by telephone, 109,000 by video or online consultation, and more than 11,000 through home visits.

A growing number of these appointments are being delivered by a wider range of healthcare professionals working in GP practices. These include advanced nurse practitioners, physiotherapists, clinical pharmacists and mental health care coordinators, alongside GPs. This approach increases capacity, ensures patients are seen by the most appropriate clinician first time, and reflects the changing shape of modern general practice.

NHS Sussex has been raising awareness of these teams through its primary care campaign, which helps people understand the roles they may encounter in their local surgery and what to expect when they get in touch.

Access to general practice services has been a focus for the NHS both locally and nationally following the publication of the Government’s delivery plan for recovering access to primary care. The national plan aimed to address two key objectives:

To tackle the ‘8am rush’ and reduce the number of people struggling to contact their practice
For patients to know on the day they contact their practice, how their request will be managed

As well as empowering patients to take control of their healthcare using tools such as the NHS App and raising awareness of self-referral services, the plan aims to support practices to implement ‘modern general practice’ services including upgraded phone systems and improved GP systems, as well as increasing the capacity of services and reducing bureaucracy.

Amy Galea, Chief and Integration and Primary Care Officer at NHS Sussex, said:

“It is fantastic to see that general practices across Sussex have once again delivered over a million appointments in a single month. This reflects the dedication of staff working across general practice to provide the care their patients need.

“Demand has risen, and we know that general practices have been working hard to be able to increase what they can offer, including appointments in the evening and weekends, clinics for specific conditions, and online consultations for those who find this convenient. They have been doing this whilst also improving the way in which people can communicate with them.

“Many practices have also focused on increasing their practice teams to offer more care to patients. By growing the range of skilled professionals who can support patients, they are making it easier for people to access the right care, in the right place, and at the right time.

“Access to general practice remains an area of continuous improvement and it is encouraging to see the positive response from staff working across Sussex. ”