Man discusses virtual GP offer

that while Hi. Can you tell me a little bit about your experiences of using GP services in the past six months? Yeah, OK, so I guess since, um, we've been in lockdown, Um, I've kind of tended to use virtual, uh, GP services. Um, so that's, um, through, um, an application that my local GP, um, has has provided for us our our directors to which was called push Doctor. Um, so I found using that, um, very convenient in being able to use, um to to actually, um, book GP appointments

And I I get the impression that's because you're actually connecting to a GP, you know, wherever they are in the country. So it doesn't have to be someone from your own, um, your own GP surgery. Uh, so I presume that means there's more slots available because it never seems to be that difficult to get a slot

It seems to, um, you know, be lots available across the day at various times, particularly early or late, early in the morning or late in the evening, which is when I tend to, um, try and book GP appointments. Um, obviously, doing it that way has also made things much easier in terms of, um even though I live quite close to my local GP. Um, you know, when I was working, especially when we were in the office, Yeah, I'd have to try and book a very early appointment

Even the earliest would mean And I'd probably get into work later than I would do normally. Um, or vice versa. If it was the end of the day, I had to leave work and make sure I was there on time

So doing it doing the virtual appointments is a lot easier from that perspective, I think in terms of the actual service itself, um, I'm kind of not as used to using a GP service now, where you see the same doctor. So previous GPS, I have had doctors that kind of know me am I knew and my current GP even before the pandemic. That's not really been the case

I've just been seeing, you know, whichever doctor and and and that's kind of the same experience through using a virtual GP, obviously, because they're not tied to my GP surgery, there would just be, um, GP where you know, which are available around the country, so I think that's possibly a more negative aspects of it, because they don't often. They don't always know you, and you know how. Obviously they've got your notes, but it's possibly not quite the same as seeing somebody who's seen you before and is familiar with, you know, whatever it is that that you're talking about, or that you need to see them about having said that, It it is it is convenient

It's easy to use. Um, I've only ever had one experience where, um, the actual software itself has crashed. Um, and I wasn't quite sure what to do after that

So that's possibly a, um, you know, again, a slight negative. Um, but apart from that, it's been very convenient, and the GPS I've used have been good. Um, there is obviously one main drawback in that the GP can't examine you

Um, you know, if there's a particular issue that will probably prompt prompt, um, a GP, actually, um, you know, examine you in person. Um I mean, they they they have. You know, when I had a throat infection, when the GP did actually asked me to, uh, point the camera phone down my throat, which was fine

Um, that's fine, is it? But it was just, uh I guess a different way of doing things, you know, I've never had anything, you know, um, you know, which is isn't said anything more than that. Um, but I guess that's still an option. But, you know, I know that there's certain circumstances where, um, you know, I've had some stomach problems where, um, virtual GP can't feel his stomach to see, You know how you know, whether it's self tender, etcetera

Um, so there's aspects of that, um, which are a slight negative. Um, so obviously, as I say, you know, from a, um, a logistics perspective, I think it's worked fine. Um, and in some ways, better

Um, but I think when you get to the point where you maybe need some more in person consultation, then, um, you know, I haven't been to that point other than having blood tests or or things like that. So, um, yeah, that's probably why it would, you know, maybe not work quite as well. Thank you

So, is that an option on your app that you see someone virtually or in person or Is it all virtual? Well, I I I I guess that's kind of the confusion now, because I guess, uh, previously when I used to make a GP appointment, it was through an app. So that was just a booking. Um, app

So it was, you know, you wouldn't be having a virtual appointment. It it was just literally when you would go into the GP surgery. Since lockdown happened, they've just switched to a virtual app

So I assume I can still make an appointment to go in and see someone in person, but I just tend to I I haven't actually tried doing that yet because I haven't needed to, um, But in that case, it's probably going back to the old fashioned way of running the surgery rather than, you know, doing it through an online app or anything. But it it before the, um, pandemic and lockdown. Having a booking app was pretty good

Um, you know, like, you could see all the appointments that were available. Um, rather than having to speak to somebody on the phone, So I don't know if that's something they're going to go back to, Um, you know, as and when things to start easing from a a lockdown perspective Fab. That's really interesting

Thank you. Um, is there anything else that you'd like to add? Um, I I think I think that's it, Really. I mean, I think, you know, I I guess that whole aspect of doing, um, you know, virtual appointments and being able to link to other people, Probably it

I mean, I I'm thinking maybe this from a less from a personal experience, but just from a general, a general perspective, it it seems that that works quite well to, um, kind of utilise a spare GP resource, if you like where it's available rather than, you know, you may maybe you have GPS that are sat around waiting to see, um, patients in some surgeries. Where and others that just flat out because they haven't, you know, got the resources or the time to see as many people. So I think it works quite well in that perspective

It's it. You know it. It's a good way of of doing things

I mean it. It kind of is interesting that where I work, I I also have access to private health care. Um, for certain things, you know, not for, uh, general things, but they do give me access to, um, a virtual GP through that as well, Which I don't I haven't used actually, because I I I've been using just the normal GP ones

Obviously, that might not. So I think that kind of makes more sense to do it that way. But obviously, there's other, um, you know, kind of health care providers that are doing that as well

You know, this way. And, you know, I I guess to an extent it does. It does seem to make sense, but I think again, you know, there's also this aspect of how tech savvy people are

You know, some people, you know, that were in sound patronising. But the older generation might not be as comfortable doing things virtually and need to be seen in person and and and also people who are less, uh, kind of conscious of their own health and kind of need a bit of prompts in and and need to see someone in person. You know that that that's going to actually, you know, diagnose them properly

Uh, and it might be less well suited to them. But for me personally, I think it's work. Work, OK

Oh, that's some really interesting reflections. Thank you very much. Um