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25
May 2021
Face-to-face GP appointments in 2020 nearly 90 million down compared to previous year
NHS Digital statistics how that 147.85 million face-to-face consultations happened between April 2020 and March 2021, down from the 238.26 million during the same 12 month period the year before.
Critics have slammed the decision by the NHS to divert patients away from in-person appointments as “not acceptable”.
GPs have been instructed to adopt a ‘total triage’ system, meaning that all patients must discuss their illness with them online or over the phone before they are booked in for a face-to-face appointment.
Chief executive of the Patients Association Rachel Power, said “Access to general practice is clearly extremely difficult for patients at the moment.
“The solution lies in ensuring patients get the care they need, it is not acceptable for the NHS to divert patients down routes that don’t work well simply to relieve pressure on the system – that’s not a solution.
“Remote appointments, which in truth are mostly by phone rather than new online systems, should remain as an option for those who want them. But face-to-face appointments with GPs must be restored as the default option.”
Dr Jeanette Dickson, president of the Royal College of Radiologists, said the drop in face-to-face appointments has meant that less people are being referred for cancer treatment and tests.
She added “Millions fewer people presenting to GPs has undoubtedly meant fewer people being referred for, tested and treated for cancer.
“Oncologists have already seen the direct knock-on of the drops in GP cancer referrals, as thousands fewer patients were diagnosed with cancer last year than previously.”
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Posted by Tony May, Partner/head of Clinical Negligence Department, Chadwick Lawrence LLP (tonymay@chadlaw.co.uk ), medical negligence lawyers and clinical negligence solicitors in Huddersfield, Leeds, Wakefield and Halifax, West Yorkshire.
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