When will GP appointments go back to normal?
They won’t. Sorry. The world has changed.
COVID-19 has altered many aspects of society (think Teams and Zoom). And general practice is no different.
Society has changed forever. Medicine has changed forever.
How are practices working now?
All appointments are being triaged – this means that people with the greatest need are being seen first.
What is triage?
The duty GP asseses every phone query and decides who needs to be seen in person; who needs a phone appointment; and who can be directed to a different health professional – e.g. ‘first contact’ physio, IAPT (NHS counsellor), practice nurse or community pharmacist etc.
How do we triage?
Duty doctors look at all the information available and make an assessment, on what to do next, e.g. phone call or face-to-face (F2F) appointment.
Face to face appointments are still occurring but COVID-19 taught us only 10-20% of patients actually need to see a doctor.
Why do receptionists ask personal questions?
Put simply, because they have been asked to! Anyone that is tasked with answering a call at a GP practice must maintain strict confidence and only ask questions to help you get the right treatment.
So. Why do GPs not want their appointments to go back to normal?
There are several reasons:
- Quantity of work – GPs were struggling to see patients pre-pandemic. There are more now, and with more complex problems. Phone appointments are quicker and enable them to see more patients
- History-taking – GPs main skill is their experience combined with asking questions (what we all the history). So most patients do not need to be examined
- Examination – can be arranged at the GP surgery that day if the GP thinks it necessary.
Hospital doctors
Have chosen to practice similarly, with the majority of their appointments on the phone. So GPs are not so different and deserve more consideration. They are trying their best.
Public view
All of this may not be what the public want. Many people think ‘it is time to get back to normal, GPs – like the rest of society’.
Summary
We have explained when will GP appointments go back to normal. They will not. And MyHSN is not against the movement to virtual appointments – so long as new appointments (and follow of more unwell patients) can be F2F.
[MyHSN Ed “Oh yes. When did you last see your bank manager F2F?”]
