12th November 2018
GPs should refer patients to Skype outpatient appointments, says NHS England
GPs should refer patients to Skype outpatient appointments, says @NHSEngland #GPnews
GPs could soon be referring patients to outpatient appointments taking place via Skype, following calls from NHS England’s medical director.
Professor Stephen Powis said the ‘the time has come’ to use technology to reduce some of the 118m outpatient appointments every year, ‘many of which’ NHS England claimed are ‘unnecessary’.
Aside from using ‘Skype, apps and online tools’ to treat outpatients, another alternative route to make better use of patients time would be by having them seen ‘by specialists at the GP surgery’, said Professor Powis.
There’s a lot of merit in this approach – using technology to facilitate more efficient & scalable patient consultations and could address capacity/ workforce issues well. Could be used by #GPPharmacists just as easily!
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