Telephone and online appointments - Here to stay?
Earlier this year Healthwatch Shropshire asked people to share their experiences of accessing General Practice appointments and using their local Pharmacy. The report highlighted that people’s experiences varied widely and there was a lack of consistent information about services and how to access them. The report has now been published.
As a result of the pandemic many services across health and social care have changed how they are delivered and new ones have been developed. In order to offer services as safely as possible people have been offered appointments over the phone or online by video or using an online form. We want to hear your views and experiences of this new way of working.
The changes that we have seen in the way patients attend some of their appointments because of Covid-19 are likely to be here to stay. We know that the NHS Long Term Plan commits to reducing face-to-face outpatient appointments by up to a third over the next five years.
We really want to know how patients have found these new methods so that we can ensure that the patient voice is heard as the new systems are extended across health care.
