How local GP surgeries are managing appointments during pandemic

GPs surgeries have had to transform the way they work to try to limit the spread of coronavirus.

Around 10% of local GP appointments were carried out using video-link and telephone calls in 2019, whilst, until the start of March, 87% took place in person.

Following government guidance, the profession has been forced to change the way it works dramatically over the course of three weeks, with surgeries adopting phone and video calls to assess patients.

Local GP and CCG Chair Dr Chris Duffy said: “The Covid-19 pandemic has seen GP practices transform the way they use technology in the way they work, even though the technology existed before the crisis.

“All GP practices in Heywood, Middleton and Rochdale have moved to 100% telephone/video triage for patients in the first instance which means the majority of patients can be managed remotely to keep them safe during this time.

“Only those patients where it is clinically indicated that a face to face assessment is required will be brought in to be seen by the doctor.

“As well as keeping as many people as safe as possible, this level of technology makes good use of the time resource of GPs and other primary care staff and this could be something that is maximised after the coronavirus crisis passes.”

In 2019, two thirds of all regional NHS commissioning areas carried out no video call appointments, NHS data shows.

Concerns have been raised that people who may not have access to smartphones or a computer, will be excluded from seeing their GP during the crisis.

Elderly needs charity Age UK has urged practices to be "proactive" in contacting people on their registers known to have underlying health conditions.

Senior health influencing manager at the charity, Tom Gentry 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. 

Many GP practices have already adopted the proactive approach.