Only one in seven GP appointments done in person in Covid-19 fallout

Only one in every seven GP appointments is being held face-to-face, highlighting the extent to which coronavirus has impacted community healthcare.

The Royal College of GPS found 61 per cent of consultations were being held by telephone, 6 per cent via text messages or e-mail and 4 per cent by video consultation.

Home visits accounted for 2 per cent, care home visits 1 per cent and face-to-face consultations another 11 per cent, meaning the remaining 86 per cent of appointments were held with the assistance of technology, according to the survey.

Before the pandemic around a quarter of consultations were held by phone, with the organisation’s chairman saying appointments held this way “pose a challenge” owing to an absence of visual cues.

Professor Martin Marshall said: “We can’t do physical examinations over the phone, we can’t give vaccinations or take blood tests.

“It’s a different skill to face to face consulting, but it can be effective, especially for patients with simple conditions.

“The biggest challenge is when patients have complex health needs as being in the same room as a patient, with whom you might have built up a relationship over time, is incredibly useful and difficult to replicate remotely.”

The survey, based on 859 responses between 9 and 22 July,alsoshowed88percentof surgeries had rolled out e-consultations compared to 5 per cent before coronavirus. Seven in ten GPS said telephone consultations increased their efficiency.

Prof Marshall said care can still be delivered effectively and safely from a remote setting, but added: “Remote consultations, whether by telephone or video, won’t be suitable or preferable for everyone.”