From 1 October, patients will be able to request appointments online throughout the day rather than calling their surgery or visiting in person.
The move is part of the government's plan to end the 8am scramble.
GP practices are now required to keep their online consultation tools running throughout the day.
Previously, online access was patchy across the country - some GP practices would turn online requests off when they reach a certain number, while others only have the online function available for a few hours a day. According to figures, when patients can’t get through on the phone, 6.6% end up in A&E, which is worse for them and more expensive for the taxpayer.
Trials show that where practices have moved to this ‘modern general practice’ approach, both staff and patients report improved service quality. A London GP surgery that adopted this approach to online requests reduced waits from 14 days to 3, with 95 per cent of patients seen within a week.
Care minister Stephen Kinnock said: "We promised to tackle the 8am scramble and make it easier for patients to access their GP practice - and through our Plan for Change, that’s exactly what we’re delivering.
"We are bringing our analogue health service into the digital era, giving patients greater choice and convenience. We’ve learned from GPs who are already offering this service and reaping the rewards.
"We’ve invested an extra £1.1 billion in general practice - the biggest increase in over a decade - and hired an extra 2,000 GPs across England. There’s more to do, but this government is fixing the front door to the NHS."
Dr Amanda Doyle, national director for primary care and community services at NHS England, said: "Improving access to general practice is a top priority for the NHS and while latest data shows a record 3 in 4 people found it easy to contact their GP, there is much more to do - which is why requiring all practices to keep their online consultation tools open during core hours is so vital.
"This step will help modernise general practice by making online access as easy as calling or walking in to your practice, ensuring the phone lines are available for those who need them most and making it easier for practices to triage patients based on clinical need."
