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Ron Finlay
The Government is soon to publish the results of its £31 million Whole Systems Demonstrator programme to trial telehealth and telecare – systems where patients with long-term conditions are monitored remotely by electronic devices. Think tank 2020 Health believes the NHS could save £1 billion a year if this system were rolled out.
However, the most rudimentary method of electronic communication – email – remains virtually unavailable for patients wishing to contact their family doctor. This is scandalous.
The GP Patient Survey for 2010 published last week (17 March) showed that nearly one-in-four patients (23%) would prefer to book appointments with their doctor online – but only 2% do now.
Just allowing appointment booking by email could not only cut costs dramatically but also reduce the frustration experienced by patients trying to get through to busy switchboards.
Beyond this administrative use, why not open up consultations to email access too? The BMA has warned of risks of patient confidentiality and the chances of missing a serious illness. The former is not insurmountable – financial institutions manage security issues pretty well. The latter is surely just as risky with a telephone call? GPs can always ask more questions by email if they have any grounds for concern.
The private sector is leading the way on this - Lloydspharmacy for example, offers an online doctor service allowing people to ask about and get treatment for sensitive issues such as sexual health without embarrassment. The Boots WebMD service also provides a range of easy to access health advice.
Come on, Mr Lansley. Bring doctor-patient communications into the 21st century.
Posted by Ron Finlay
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