The proportion of GP appointments conducted online or via video has hit a record high despite concerns over patient safety, official figures reveal.
The rate has increased five-fold in a little over a year, from one in 100 consultations in May 2023 to one in 20 this August, according to NHS England.
Patient groups warn the push to remote care can deter some people from seeking help and risks serious diseases such as cancer being missed.
Elderly people who feel uncomfortable revealing personal medical issues over the internet may be more likely to suffer, campaign group Silver Voices added.
The rate of virtual GP appointments increased five-fold in a little over a year, from one in 100 consultations in May 2023 to one in 20 this August, according to NHS England
The proportion of GP appointments delivered by video or online has been rising steadily for much of the past year-and-a-half, passing 1 per cent in May 2023, 2 per cent in August and 3 per cent in December.
It hit 4 per cent in March this year and stood at 5.2 per cent in August – the first time it has been above 5 per cent.
The increase in appointments done by video or online has coincided with a fall in the proportion of face-to-face consultations — a trend, which was accelerated by the pandemic.
Some 70.8 per cent of GP appointments were carried out in person in October 2023, but this had dropped to 64.8 per cent by August this year — the lowest figure since June 2022.
The proportion of appointments carried out over the phone stood at 26.1 per cent in August and has held steady at around 26 per cent for much of the past 12 months.
Comparable data for GP appointments in England begins in March 2022.
Doctors said remote consultations are ‘often more convenient’ for patients, but they work to ensure requests for face-to-face appointments are respected.
However, Dennis Reed, director of Silver Voices, which campaigns for the over-60s, said: ‘We have long warned about the risks of remote appointments.
The proportion of GP appointments delivered by video or online has been rising steadily for much of the past year-and-a-half, passing 1 per cent in May 2023, 2 per cent in August and 3 per cent in December
‘They might be easier and preferable for the GPs but they can put some elderly people off getting care or impact on the quality of care they receive.
‘A GP conducting a remote appointment cannot see the way a patient walks into the room or grimaces as they sit down. They cannot conduct a physical examination, check their blood pressure or heart beat.
‘And patients may be reticent about describing symptoms online in the way they would if they were face-to-face because of concerns about privacy.
‘This can lead to them hiding symptoms and serious conditions being missed and getting worse.
‘GPs should give patients a choice over the type of consultation they like but we know from our members that this is not always happening.’
Elderly people who feel uncomfortable revealing personal medical issues over the internet may be more likely to suffer, campaigners say
Dr Rachel Ward, a GP and member of the Rebuild General Practice campaign group, said: ‘GPs are seeing more patients than ever before — providing 27.6 million total appointments in August alone.
‘We have been ringing the alarm bell for years, saying that the profession needs to retain its GPs, receive fairer funding, and have greater autonomy.
‘Where we can offer online appointments — and importantly, when patients themselves want them — we will do so.
‘This is often more convenient for our patients and allows us to see all patients more quickly and equally as effectively.
‘For those patients who need or request an in-person appointment, we ensure that this is respected and that patients receive the care they want and deserve.
‘The crux of the issue is not about online appointments — it’s about having enough GPs to begin with.’
Professor Kamila Hawthorne, chair of the Royal College of GPs (RCGPs), also backed a ‘mixed method approach’.
She added: ’This should be a decision made between patient and clinician.
‘Many patients prefer the convenience and flexibility that remote consultations — whether delivered over the phone or via video — can offer, and evidence has also shown that in the vast majority of cases, remote care is safe.
‘However, we also know that many patients prefer to access care in-person and this is how the vast majority of appointments in general practice are being carried out.
‘In many cases, GPs might initially consult with a patient remotely, and then ask them to come into the practice if it’s necessary to see them in person.’
A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: ‘Patients who prefer a face-to-face appointment should have one and we are also committed to shifting care from analogue to digital, which includes offering patients digital appointments when and where they need one.
‘We will get primary care back on its feet, shifting the focus out of hospitals and into the community, fixing the front door of the NHS and ending the misery of people unable to get a GP appointment.’
