The latest figures from askmyGP reporting patient contact preferences are consistent with those from earlier in the year. Data show continued low demand among patients for video consultations (0.06%).
When offered a choice of ways to talk to their GP, 27% of patients expressed a preference for a face-to-face appointment, 28% preferred to be contacted by secure message and 44% by phone. Slightly more patients asked for a face-to-face appointment than in previous months, but clinical decisions and actual method of delivery remain consistent.
The askmyGP data is drawn from practices with diverse patient populations receiving a total of 308,000 patient requests during the period. The data illustrates patient contact by clinical episode, with video consultation with the patient’s usual NHS GP offered at no extra cost to either the practice or the patient.
Clinical judgement always takes precedence, meaning in some cases simple queries might be addressed by a quick answer by phone or message, while more complex presentations will warrant a face-to-face appointment, even in cases where this has not been requested by the patient. Practices are not bound by their patients’ contact preferences, but they use the information to guide their responses to patients.
13 November 2019
