More than two in five GP appointments in Devon in June took place over the phone or online, recent figures show.

In England this figure was one-third – the highest proportion since the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Royal College of GPs said remote consultations "offer convenience and flexibility that many patients value", adding most appointments still take place in person.

NHS England data shows 315,570 (41 per cent) of all 772,572 GP appointments attended in the NHS Devon Integrated Care Board area in June were carried out over the phone or online.

It was up from 246,114 and 35 per cent a year earlier, and 251,353 in June 2020 during the pandemic – although the proportion was down from 45 per cent then.

Professor Kamila Hawthorne, chair of the Royal College of GPs, said: "Remote consultations, whether delivered over the phone or via video, can offer convenience and flexibility that many patients value.

"Often a GP might initially consult with a patient remotely and then ask them to come into the practice if it’s necessary to see them in person."

In the NHS Devon Integrated Care Board area, 56 per cent of consultations were carried out face-to-face in June, and one per cent were done through home visits.

Professor Hawthorne said many patients prefer accessing care in person rather than remotely.

She added the college "supports a mixed-method approach to delivering care" in general practice, adding decisions on whether appointments should be carried out in person or remotely are made between clinicians and patients.

An NHS England spokesperson said: "GP teams are working hard to offer better access for patients, with a record number of appointments being carried out in the last year. Recent findings show the number of patients who are satisfied with their practice has improved."