Title : NHS begins new trial that offers consultations via phone
link : NHS begins new trial that offers consultations via phone
NHS begins new trial that offers consultations via phone
- The new 'GP at Hand' service is to be trialed at a surgery in Fulham, London
- Patients will be able to get a GP appointment within minutes using the service
- Experts predict this technology will become the standard way to 'see' a doctor
Millions of NHS patients are being offered an appointment with their GP by video on their smartphones under a controversial new scheme.
The service, which has left experts concerned, is to be trialed at a surgery in London but it is predicted it will become the standard way to 'see' a doctor.
Patients will be able to get a GP appointment within minutes using the new service, which will work 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
The technology has been developed for use in private medicine by Babylon. It will be paid from the public purse to run the trial of the 'GP at Hand' service.
However, concerns have been raised it will create a two tier NHS, that sees the young being given a golden ticket and 'cherry-picked' while the elderly are left out.
The video appointment service is to be trialled at a surgery in London but experts predict it will become the standard way to 'see' a doctor (stock)
Mobasher Butt of Babylon told The Times: 'We do everything from grocery shopping to our banking online yet when it comes to our health, it can still take weeks to see a doctor and often means taking time off work.
'With the NHS making use of this technology, we can put patients in front of a GP within minutes on their phone.'
The Royal College of GPs has warned that despite the time-saving benefits the move could lead to a shortage of family doctors by luring them away from practices.
Professor Helen Stokes-Lampard, chairwoman of the RCGPs, said: 'Technology can achieve wonderful things when used properly, but we are really worried that schemes like this are creating a twin-track approach to NHS general practice.
'We understand that with increasingly-long waiting times to see a GP, an online service is convenient and appealing, but older patients and those living with more complex needs want continuity of care and the security of their local practice where their GPs know them.
'We notice there is an extensive list of patient conditions such as frailty, pregnancy and mental health conditions that are the essence of general practice, and which GPs deal with every day, but which are not eligible for this service.
'While this scheme is backed by the NHS and offers a free service to patients, it is undoubtedly luring GPs away from frontline general practice at a time when we are facing a severe workforce crisis and hardworking GPs are struggling to cope with immense workloads.'
She said the scheme 'could actually increase the pressures on traditional GPs based in the community' if patients are ‘cherry-picked’.
NHS England said: 'GP practices are right to carefully test technologies that can improve free NHS services for patients while also freeing staff time.'
Ali Parsa, the founder of Babylon, believes that using artificial intelligence symptom checking devices could also save the NHS time and money.
The firm says its testing shows that only around a fifth of health issues raised by patients require a full consultation with a doctor present.
It is hoped the new scheme will help to slash waiting times from the current average of two weeks, to just a matter of hours.
The scheme will adopt facial recognition to ensure patient confidentiality and use artificial intelligence as part of an advanced triage system.
The service will also allow for patients to get same day appointments in person, if their doctor deems one necessary.
Prescriptions will be delivered to a pharmacy of choice, allowing for the patient to pick up from the most convenient location.
A playback feature will also form part of the new scheme, meaning patients can re-watch their entire appointment.
Dr Parsa said: 'Babylon’s mission is to put accessible and affordable healthcare in the hands of every person on earth.
'So it’s particularly satisfying that our own NHS has become the first health service to harness technology to offer round the clock, accessible healthcare to our people.'
The service has been trialed in Fulham with nearly 90 per cent of patients giving the service a five star rating so far, the firm states.
Since its rollout, 3,000 people have become members of the new service, with over 10,000 more registering their interest to join as the service rolls out.
Once patients register, the practice will be able to access their medical records.
Dame Barbara Hakin, formerly a GP and National Director in NHS England, said: 'I know just how difficult times are for GPs these days and how busy they are.
'GP at hand, in addition to being very convenient for patients, can help the service given the recruitment crisis we know is facing us.
'This technology can take more of the strain and ensure the best information and insight is available ahead of consultations which will then relieve some of the pressure on hard pressed clinicians.'
Dr Charles Alessi, senior advisor at Public Health England said: 'The GP at Hand service is a true NHS primary care service - helping people stay healthy as well as looking after them when they are sick.
'People want to be in control of their health, and through babylon's technology GP at Hand makes that possible.'
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