Have your say about online appointments with clinicians

[lynmynott]

NHS England is supporting local NHS GP practices to offer their patients alternative ways to have a consultation with a GP or other practice-based health professional online via the internet, rather than waiting for the next available appointment to attend in person.

If you have views on this way of GP appointments, you can have your say here: engage.england.nhs.uk/surve...

The consultation will run from 8th May to 15th June

[UrsaP]

How come, when T4 is third most issued med in UK, that Hypothyroidism is not listed as a lifelong/long term illness or condition? Not mentioned in the list on this survey? Not listed on my surgery web page either. With everything that is going on I do feel that thyroid disease, and Hypothyroidism in particular, is being marginalised.

[lynmynott Partner Thyroid UK in reply to UrsaP]

I do wonder who devised the survey. Surveys are not easy to design as we know. We were pilloried for not stratifying our survey into UK countries and it seems that this survey hasn't done this either.

[UrsaP in reply to lynmynott]

Seems very vague to me. Limited questions, incomplete answer options. I suspect the decision to put consultations online has already been decided. They are now looking for the 'input' to prove that people want them. They ask about reasons for not wanting it then move questions back to imply approval of it?

I wonder if it really matters what is said, who sees the returns to verify them?

There is a question that asked for reasons you might not want to have online consultations, several reasons given, including want a face to face; might not understand the online response etc. Then it says 'other' but omits to ask for explanation of 'other'?? Very odd, or deliberate as not interested?

I feel it would be just so dangerous. Responses so open to misinterpretation. No visual, clinical clues for the doctor either? Not that many put much score on this anyway. Also no authenticity - who's to say it is the patient at the other end? We all know how systems can be hacked.

I also worry that the increased mental issues that are being publicised all over, of late, especially relating to youngsters, are very much caused by the increasing lack of real interaction. Less 'play' time in schools. Showing my age, and at the risk of sounding like my dad, but 'in my day' there was a large playground, even in secondary schools. You had decent break times, and you were outside, having to interact with others. Winter time, having to 'exercise ' to keep warm! (Hated it, was always too cold! At first opportunity, volunteered for library duty.) These days play times limited, playgrounds often don't exist, encouraging smaller groups...less interaction and possibly more competition and aggression?

Children learn through play, they learn to accept others, to interact and emphasise with each other. They learn to tolerate and deal with awkward situations and differing opinions. But even nurseries, now, are governed by OFTSED and such, pressured to prove progress!!

Kids are living their lives virtually, they are not learning the subtleties of body language and hence not picking up on the visual clues, the basic blocks of language. Communication skills are being lost. Hence they are having to analyse every text and post their peers make! Making everything a drama, every little thing a crisis. No wonder mental health becomes an issue!

What will this virtual reality do to health care?

Doctor:Patient discussion will be come stilted, relationships will be jeopardised. information either way will be more open to interpretation, misinterpretation and misunderstandings.

Perhaps this is just another way of protecting the Dr from the patient? It is easier to say NO you can't have this medication when it is done electronically. It is easier to ignore the patients pleas when they are not present!

Probably why so many who have had no consultations prior to T3 withdrawal.

Scary.

[UrsaP in reply to lynmynott]

I suspect they have very clever language graduates whom are very good at leading towards the desired answers.

[nightingale-56]

Not a good online consultation. Provokes more questions than answers.