Our dreaded 8 am phone calls to GP surgeries to secure a GP appointment are soon to be a thing  of the past, due to a major revamp announced by the government. All GP surgeries will be moving to a digital phone system, which will come into force by March 2024, at a cost of £240 million. The system will allow patients to contact their GP faster and, if the request is urgent, they will be assessed and given a same day appointment. If it is not urgent, appointments should be offered within two weeks, or patients will be referred to NHS 111 or a local pharmacy for guidance and support instead. More than 1,000 GP surgeries have already signed up for this upgrade. To support it, a further £645 million has been committed to enable us to make better use of our community pharmacies. More power will be given to them, in order to reduce the need for us to see our GPs and, in turn, lower GP waiting times. For example, women will be allowed to obtain oral contraception through pharmacies instead of having to go through their practice nurse or GP. Patients who need prescription drugs for seven common conditions – sinusitis, sore throats, earaches, infected insect bites, impetigo, shingles and uncomplicated urinary tract infections – will be able to get them without a GP appointment. Access to blood pressure checks from local pharmacies will also be increased from 900,000 to 2.5 million. These changes are expected to free up a hefty 15 million GP appointments over the next two years for the patients who need them the most.