Britain’s top doctor said there was no need to offer more in-person appointments as the current rate was “almost fair”.
Nearly 80% of family doctor appointments were made in person prior to the pandemic, but that rate dropped to just 47% in April 2020 after Covid struck.
And the latest figures show that just under 65% met face-to-face at the end of May this year.
But Professor Martin Marshall, head of the Royal College of GP, admitted that remote consultations are not suitable for seniors.
Top British GP says no need to offer more in-person dates as current rate is ‘nearly fair’ (stock image)
Nearly 80% of GP appointments were face-to-face before the pandemic, but this rate dropped to just 47% in April 2020 after Covid (stock image)
He also spoke of the trend towards “mega-surgeries”, telling the Sunday Telegraph that it was “long ago” when a family doctor served a community for decades.
The Daily Mail is campaigning to see more patients in person. Regarding the increase in remote dating, Professor Marshall said: “We will certainly end up with a service that is more convenient when remote, but not necessarily more productive”.
Earlier this year, NHS England issued guidelines that in-person appointments should be recommended unless there are good clinical reasons to avoid them.
However, the latest statistics show that about a third of appointments are made over the phone or through online consultations.
Professor Marshall said patients in the East London office are often young and tech-savvy, but conceded that this is not the case in “older and more traditional communities”. With half of Britain’s small operations closed in less than a decade, he said: ‘For forty years you have had a family doctor in a stable community, Dr. Finlay’s days are long gone.’
He added last night: “Probably the transition to more distant treatments … would have already happened, but the pandemic has accelerated it.”
A spokesperson for the Ministry of Health and Social Care said patients should be able to see their family doctor “as they please”.
Source: Daily Mail
I am Anne Johnson and I work as an author at the Fashion Vibes. My main area of expertise is beauty related news, but I also have experience in covering other types of stories like entertainment, lifestyle, and health topics. With my years of experience in writing for various publications, I have built strong relationships with many industry insiders. My passion for journalism has enabled me to stay on top of the latest trends and changes in the world of beauty.
