Month: August 2020

No more ‘please hold’: the NHS App and online triage are changing the way we make GP appointments

August 24, 2020

The Covid-19 crisis has accelerated the implementation of numerous digital GP services including online booking systems. Healthwatch Camden volunteers called 25 GP practices in Camden and reported back on whether or not patients were being directed to an online triage system and, if so, the clarity of instructions given on the answerphone messages. Their experiences and the pros and cons to online booking are outlined in this blog. While we welcome innovation that will improve the patient experience and make better use of GP resources, we will continue to argue that new online options for accessing care must not risk excluding patients who are unable or unwilling to use online platforms to book appointments at their GP practice.

 

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The switch to digital care – a GP’s perspective

August 17, 2020

Dr Kevan Ritchie is a GP partner at the Bloomsbury Surgery in the heart of Camden. In this blog he reflects on the pandemic’s impact on GPs. This includes the benefits and drawbacks of the sudden switch to a ‘Digital First’ model of care.

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