‘Be proactive in supporting those without technology’

A charity has raised concerns that people who do not have access to smartphones or a computer may be excluded from seeing their GP during the Coronavirus crisis.

Elderly needs charity Age UK said elderly or vulnerable people, who may be selfisolating at home, could be cut off from accessing vital services.

The charity is urging practices to be ‘proactive’ in contacting people on their registers who are known to have underlying health conditions.

Tom Gentry, senior health influencing manager at Age UK, said: “Surgeries have a lot of information at their disposal. Using that, they need to make active care plans for people to enable them to feel supported.

“It’s about not waiting for people to deteriorate and it’s about reaching out to them first.”

Mr Gentry said that surgeries should also not discount the use of home visits, providing adequate precautions are taken.

“No one should be told outright that they should not be visited in their own home,” he said.

However, many GP practices have already been adopting a proactive approach in order to reach residents.

Clive Williams, a fishing tackle supplier from Horsham, is caring for his wife Joanna, 63, at home as she has a brain tumour.

He was worried about going to a surgery because of the risk of infection – and because he did not want to add extra burden to his stretched local practice.

“I felt it would be a nuisance to get in touch with them,” the 64-year-old said.

“But my GP is absolutely brilliant.

“He contacted me out of the blue to have a little chat about my wife as she struggles with her memory.”