GP services but not be allowed to go the way of banking
Is the visit to the family doctor becoming a thing of the past?
As with much of society, GP services were thrown into crisis by the coronavirus pandemic, and doctors had little choice but to restrict face-to-face appointments to those for whom there was really no alternative.
With the easing of lockdown, the number of in--person appointments gradually increased, and it was assumed that eventually things would return to normal.
So today's news that a third of GP appointments are now either over the telephone or over the internet - the highest number since the pandemic - comes as something of a surprise.
The big rise has been in the number of online consultations, up from 1.5 per cent of all appointments two years ago to 8 per cent this year.
Now for many patients, particularly those with busy schedules who just want simple reassurance or self-care advice for minor ailments, a telephone or online appointment may be just the job, saving the inconvenience of having to travel to a surgery, while freeing up the doctor for those in more serious need.
However, what must not be allowed to happen is for GP services to go the way of the banking industry, where patients are 'nudged' into using online services, with face-to-face appointments becoming the exception rather than the norm. We certainly don't want to see GP surgeries closing because NHS managers tell us 'most patients prefer to access services online'.
Almost any long-serving GP will have an anecdote about how serious conditions were only diagnosed when a patient came in with a minor or unrelated ailment, and to mention other symptoms during the conversation that followed. Some conditions can only be detected by physical examination, and while photographs and video evidence can sometimes help, it is far better for a doctor to see for themselves.
There is a place for telephone and online appointments, and if they can help our creaking health service cope with the demands of a growing and ageing population, then that can only be a good thing.
But, for most people, there is no substitute for seeing a doctor face to face.
