Patients at a Woodford Green GP surgery will go through a telephone consultation before seeing a doctor under a new system.

The Rydal Group Practice, in High Road, will make the change on September 10 following experiments with phone consultations which found “only a relatively small number required face to face appointments”.

Receptionists will ask callers about the reason for an appointment and see if the problem can be handled by the “office team”.

If a nurse is needed an appointment will be booked and if the appointment requires a doctor, a telephone consultation will be arranged.

An appointment will only be arranged if the doctor cannot deal with the problem over the phone.