Accessing GP services during the pandemic: Phone Consultations & Annual Reviews

accessing GP services during lockdown. Um, it was it wasn't that different to how I usually do it anyway, because I don't I'm lucky enough to not have to visit the doctor for that many different things. Um, there was one occasion where I was, like, worried about something. Wanted to speak to someone

Um, and I spoke to the reception team over the phone and they booked me the phone consultation, and they just asked me to send, like, pictures of what I was worried about. It was like a skin problem, and they just prescribed me like something from looking at the pictures. So it was quite convenient, actually, because I didn't have to leave the house apart from to pick the prescription up

It was like I could do it from the comfort of my own home. Kind of less embarrassing to talk to someone over the phone than having to, like, show them something in person as well. Um, and I think I arranged, like, repeat prescriptions online

That was really easy just to fill a form out. Um, and they were sent straight to the pharmacy that I use so I could just fill the form in. It would send me an email when our text, when my prescription was ready to pick up

And I just go into the and get it. Um, and then I had to go in for, like, an annual review for some medication that I take. Um, and that was really easy to arrange

I just rang up the reception team. Sometimes there's a little bit of a wait on the phone, but you can just leave your phone on loudspeaker and get on with whatever else you're doing at the time. Um, and when I did, actually, I went out to go in to the surgery, Uh, in person

It was, like, really fast and efficient because of all the restrictions that were in place, like there were social distancing, had to wear a mask and all that lot. But it felt like a bit more like to the timings and stuff. It was just straight in and out and got the job done

So Scott.