Bury health bosses have announced their new ways of dealing with patients.
Patients will be offered a telephone or video consultation initially and may be asked to go to a GP practice that is not their own if they do require a face to face appointment.
NHS Bury Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) said this is to minimise risk created by coronavirus.
Dr. Jeff Schryer, local GP and chair of Bury CCG, said: "In order to keep patients and our staff safe, and to ensure face to face appointments are available for patients that need them, we are working in a different way.
"If your GP can safely provide your care remotely, over the phone or online via a video consultation, they will. This will help to minimise the risk whilst continuing to ensure patients can access the care they need."
Dr Schryer also asked people to not stockpile prescribed medicines, instead only requesting what they usually would.
He added: "Practices are seeing an increased demand from patients for repeat prescriptions, more than we would normally expect.
"We understand the current situation is worrying and causing people concern, that’s human nature, unfortunately additional medicines requests are putting more pressure on our GP Practices, community pharmacies and medicines supplies.
"I would urge patients to only order what they usually would, to ensure access to medicines remains available for everyone that needs them.”
GP Practices are also seeing an increase in patients requesting ‘rescue packs’ of antibiotics and oral steroids for respiratory conditions, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
Dr Schryer urged people to avoid requesting these, unless they are usually prescribed as part of an agreed management plan.
“If you have asthma or another respiratory condition, continue to manage it in the usual way," Dr Schryer said.
"Rescue packs should only be used for those people who have previously been prescribed them to manage flare ups of COPD as part of their agreed management plan.
"Please don't contact your GP Practice for a rescue pack unless you've previously been prescribed one.”
The NHS website has the latest up-to-date advice.
