Patient experiences of NHS digital booking systems in Haringey
Research methods
We conducted five semi-structured interviews with seldom heard patients living in Haringey. We liaised with GP practice managers at several local practices and in some instances, we attended in-person and completed surveys at the practice. We liaised with the Haringey GP Federation Digital Inclusion Team to extend our survey reach.
We also conducted surveys asking people at GP surgeries across Haringey about their experiences booking appointments online. We collected 69 survey responses between 21 March and 9 June 2025. Patients of 24 Haringey practices took part in the survey.
Our surveys discovered challenges and barriers to using an app to book appointments. For many people, the greatest challenge was that the app did not allow them to book appointments, or these opportunities were restricted. People mentioned that appointments were not available on the app, or that if available, there was restricted availability.
Key research insights
- Many Haringey residents have struggled to access local services online as they have found using digital booking systems difficult and experienced online platforms not working.
- Some patients have found the online booking process tedious and stopped using a digital booking system to get an appointment.
- Younger people have experience of using digital technology, so may find digital booking systems easier and more straightforward to use.
- There were some patients who said that they found digital systems to be efficient. But they also mentioned that this is significantly more accessible for some patients than others.
- From the people we interviewed we found that there were many who felt that in-person care was needed when using the digital booking system to make the service user feel supported when booking an appointment online.
- Some service users were happy with improvements made to Haringey GP practices as their experiences of booking an appointment by telephone and in-person were significantly better.
If you don't try to book very early in the morning, the app reaches its capacity. This means trying again the next morning. The app and surgery reaches capacity sometimes at 11am.
Headline recommendations
Service user feedback on digital booking systems revealed to us that there are significant gaps in services for vulnerable people living in Haringey. With digital usage increasing in both personal and professional environments, it is important that people feel empowered to use digital systems confidently. However, it is also necessary that a wide range of options remain available for all our local community groups.
We recommended the following actions:
- Co-designed platforms
- Patient engagement
- Regular monitoring of functionality
- Greater inclusivity and accessibility
- Ability to provide service user feedback
- Improved patient consultation on changes
- Spreading greater awareness about digital inclusion sessions among local people
