Phone, Video or a Home GP Visit | How to Choose Before You Book

Should I book a phone or video GP appointment?

• About a third of GP appointments in England are remote. In June 2025, around 25% were by phone and 8% online, including live chat, non-video apps and video, according to an analysis reported by Digital Health.
• Only 23% of people who booked a GP appointment were offered a choice between face-to-face and remote care, in a Healthwatch England poll of 4,050 adults published on 8 October 2026.
• In a UK primary care study published in the British Journal of General Practice, patients and clinicians considered video consultations superior to telephone, mainly because the doctor can see the patient.
• A phone appointment suits problems that depend on your history. A video appointment suits problems the doctor needs to look at, but it cannot guarantee a diagnosis or prescription.
• The Online GP by The Wellness offers telephone consultations of up to 15 minutes at £59 and video consultations of up to 30 minutes from £150.

What is the difference between a phone and a video GP appointment?

The difference is what the doctor can see and how long you have. On a phone call the doctor relies on your description, which is enough for many problems. On video the doctor can also look at your skin, eyes, throat, breathing and how well you seem, and can watch you move a joint or use an inhaler.

At The Online GP by The Wellness, a telephone consultation is up to 15 minutes and a video consultation up to 30 minutes. Both are with a GMC-registered doctor, and both can lead to a prescription, a fit note or a referral where clinically appropriate.

Which problems suit a phone appointment?

A phone appointment suits problems where the doctor needs a clear history rather than an examination. These may start with a phone assessment, depending on severity, records and individual risk.

1. Repeat prescriptions for a medicine you already take.
2. Urine infection symptoms in women who are not pregnant.
3. Discussing blood test or scan results.
4. Fit notes after an illness you have already been seen for.
5. Cold, flu and COVID symptoms in otherwise healthy adults.
6. Follow-up after a recent consultation.
7. Questions about side effects or how to take a medicine.
8. Hay fever and allergy symptoms you have had before.
9. Travel health advice and letters about medicines.
10. Referral letters for private health insurance when the problem is already known.
11. Contraception reviews when blood pressure and weight are recorded at home.
12. Simple stomach upsets without severe pain or signs of dehydration.

Our guide to what a GP can do over the phone covers telephone appointments in more detail, and our guide to online treatment for urine infections explains how a call handles the most common one.

Ask about a phone GP appointment on WhatsApp.

Which problems suit a video appointment?

A video appointment suits any problem the doctor needs to see, and any conversation where seeing each other matters. Examples where visual information may help include the following.

1. Skin rashes, spots, hives, eczema and psoriasis flares.
2. Insect bites and skin infections, to check for spreading redness.
3. Initial advice about a mildly sticky eye. Pain, light sensitivity or vision change needs urgent eye assessment.
4. Initial discussion of sore throat or swollen tonsils. Video cannot reliably exclude serious infection or confirm strep throat.
5. Mouth ulcers and cold sores.
6. Swelling of a joint, ankle or face.
7. Some non-urgent concerns about a child, with a parent or guardian present. The doctor may need to see the child in person.
8. Review of stable breathing conditions and inhaler technique. New or worsening breathlessness needs urgent assessment.
9. Anxiety, low mood and stress, where facial expression and body language help.
10. Mental health reviews where visual communication helps. Prescribing depends on the medicine, records, assessment and clinic policy, not simply whether video is used.
11. Inhaler technique and new devices.
12. Wounds, burns and healing after minor surgery.
13. Hair loss and nail changes.
14. A first look at a changing mole, before deciding whether it needs to be seen in person.
15. More than one problem, or a long list of medicines, where 30 minutes gives time to cover everything.

Tell the team about eye pain, vision change, a rapidly spreading rash or fever before choosing a remote appointment.

Book a video GP consultation on WhatsApp.

When does a home visit fit?

A clinic appointment supports a hands-on examination in a clinical setting. A home visit can help when travel is difficult, but it is not emergency care. Ask what equipment is available and how further tests will be arranged. A home visit may still lead to hospital assessment.

Which problems need an in-person appointment?

Some problems need a doctor to examine you in person, even after a phone or video call. A remote doctor should recognise when a remote assessment is not enough, under the high level principles for remote consultations agreed by UK healthcare regulators.

1. Listening to the chest when a chest infection or pneumonia is possible.
2. Examining the tummy for severe or persistent abdominal pain.
3. Looking inside the ear for earache with fever or discharge.
4. Checking a new lump in the breast, testicle, neck or groin.
5. Measuring blood pressure when you have no home monitor.
6. Procedures such as injections, wound care, smear tests and removing stitches.

The Online GP by The Wellness can arrange in-person care in London, with fees and availability confirmed before booking. As of October 2026, home visits cost £450; hotel visits cost £495 in the day or £595 in the evening.

When should I call 999 instead?

Call 999 for chest pain, severe difficulty breathing, signs of a stroke such as face drooping or arm weakness, heavy bleeding, a severe allergic reaction, a seizure, or a rash that does not fade when you press a glass against it. These need emergency care, not a booked phone or video appointment.

What does the research say about phone versus video appointments?

Research from UK general practice favours video when the doctor needs visual information. In a qualitative study of 21 patients and 13 clinicians in six practices, published in the British Journal of General Practice in 2019, video consultations were considered superior to telephone consultations.

• Clinicians said video helped them notice body language, facial expression and signs that something else was wrong.
• Patients described video as more personal and reassuring than a phone call.
• Video was seen as most useful for people who work, people with mobility problems and people with mental health problems.
• Face-to-face care was still preferred for complex or sensitive problems and for difficult news.

Most remote GP appointments are still phone calls. In June 2025, around 25% of GP appointments in England were by phone and 8% online, including live chat, non-video apps and video, according to an analysis reported by Digital Health. Patients are rarely offered the choice. Only 23% of people who booked were offered a choice between face-to-face and remote care, according to Healthwatch England in October 2026.

How do I get the most out of a phone or video GP appointment?

You get the most out of a remote appointment by preparing for five minutes beforehand. A clear history and good information help the doctor decide whether remote care is safe or another assessment is needed.

1. Write down your main symptom, when it started and what makes it better or worse.
2. Have a list of your current medicines, doses and allergies, or the packaging.
3. Take your temperature, and your blood pressure if you have a home monitor.
4. For video, sit in a quiet room with good light, and have a phone torch ready to show your throat or skin.
5. Take clear photos of a rash or wound in daylight and have them ready to send.
6. Note the pharmacy you would like your prescription sent to.
7. Tell the doctor your location and a backup telephone number. Do not drive during the consultation.
8. Before the call ends, ask what is known, what remains uncertain, who reviews results and which changes need earlier help.

Message the team on WhatsApp to book your appointment.

How much do phone and video GP appointments cost?

As of October 2026, at The Online GP by The Wellness, a video consultation of up to 30 minutes costs from £150 and a telephone consultation of up to 15 minutes costs £59.

Prescriptions are issued during the consultation where clinically appropriate, and the pharmacy charges separately for the medicine. Our 2026 guide to private GP costs compares fees across the UK.

Can a doctor tell me whether to book phone or video?

Yes. The Online GP by The Wellness offers a free suitability review. Send a short description of your symptoms on WhatsApp, and a doctor tells you whether a call, a video consultation or an in-person appointment suits you, or tells you plainly if a pharmacist can help.

Start your free suitability review on WhatsApp.

Frequently asked questions

Is a video GP appointment better than a phone appointment?

Video is better when the doctor needs to see something, such as a rash, an eye, a throat or an unwell child. A phone call may be enough for some repeat-prescription reviews, results and history-led questions, if the doctor has sufficient information.

Can a GP prescribe after a phone appointment?

Yes. A GMC-registered GP can prescribe most medicines after a phone consultation if they have enough information to judge the medicine is needed and safe. Some medicines require records, monitoring or in-person assessment and may not be suitable for remote prescribing. Ask the team before booking for a specific medicine.

How long is a phone or video GP appointment?

At The Online GP by The Wellness, a telephone consultation is up to 15 minutes and a video consultation up to 30 minutes.

Can a GP see my child by video?

Yes. Video can add visual information about a child, with a parent or guardian present. It does not replace an examination, and the doctor may recommend in-person or urgent care.

What if the doctor decides I need to be seen in person?

The doctor will tell you and explain the options. In-person fees and same-day availability are confirmed before booking. As of October 2026, London home visits cost £450; hotel visits cost £495 in the day or £595 in the evening.

Do I need an app for a video GP appointment?

No. You book on WhatsApp and the team sends you a link for the video consultation.

Sources

• Donaghy E et al, Acceptability, benefits, and challenges of video consulting, a qualitative study in primary care, British Journal of General Practice, 2019
• Digital Health, A third of GP appointments in England carried out remotely, August 2025
• Healthwatch England, Are patients getting the choices they need from their GP, 8 October 2026
• High level principles for good practice in remote consultations and prescribing, UK healthcare regulators

Reviewed by The Wellness Clinical Team. Updated 22 October 2026.

See telephone GP appointments or ask about video appointments. Fees for letters, tests and other add-ons are confirmed before booking.