‘Now you can see a GP within minutes’

first- served system, which will ensure that patients in greatest need of support are seen first.

I am, of course, concerned some patients may still be hesitant about using up NHS time during the pandemic – appointments, in numbers, are down overall.

But could it be that we are also getting better at working out who really needs to see a doctor or nurse? It’s not just GPs either. Hospitals have also gone online, helpi ng t housands of patients see specialists without leaving home.

Moorfields Eye Hospital in London now hosts 600 video appointments a week, including consultations after surgery and check-ups for people with long-term conditions.

There is even a virtual A&E service dedicated to emergency cases, with a ‘ waiting r oom’ where patients are prioritised. Patients are typically able to see a doctor within one minute of logging on.

Surgeons have embraced technology too.

According to the Royal College of Surgeons of England, 90 per cent of them have used telephone or video for consultations and outpatient clinics during the pandemic.

And as this newspaper reported last week, patients with chronic wounds – ulcers and cuts, usually on the legs, that fail to heal – are also benefiting from virtual care. Legs Matter, the UK’s leading charity for leg and foot problems, believes half a million sufferers are now treating themselves effectively at home, thanks to guidance they have received via video or phone calls from specialist nurses.

When we look back on the impact of Covid-19 on the nation’s health, there will no doubt be lasting, damaging consequences. But I believe there will be a silver lining too, and that is the technological transformation of the NHS.

The health service has always been slow to change, and many will ask why, if all this was possible, did we not do it sooner. Only policymakers and Government will have the answer. The truth is, Covid-19 forced this action. And, in years to come, I think we will realise that not being able to see patients could very well be the best thing that could have happened to the NHS.