The British Medical Association claims expanded GP online booking is leading to unsafe care
GP online booking systems
Under this year's GP contract (agreed between the British Medical Association (BMA) and Government), all practices were obliged to provide (from 1st October) an online appointment booking system that was open 8am - 6.30pm. This was to ensure parity with, and ease pressure on, other access routes such as phone and in-person requests.
However, on its introduction, the BMA said the government had reneged on promised IT safeguards and opened a dispute (involving no work-to-rule at this stage) with the Government. The Health and Social Care Secretary meanwhile has called on doctors to 'get with the 21st century'.
Healthwatch's position
Over recent years, Healthwatch have raised with Government and NHS England, how intermittent online access, and different policies of individual practices, creates variation and is problematic, especially for workers or carers who were unable to use the traditional 8am phone route.
Healthwatch have also encouraged choice of appointment booking method and retention of phone and in-person routes, due to the digital exclusion experienced by many people, for various reasons (and stressing that it shouldn't be stereotyped as only an 'old person's problem').
The BMA's position
The BMA says people are using online forms to inappropriately describe emergency problems - both physical and mental - that may not be read by a triage doctor until the following morning, if the online request was made shortly before the practice closed.
It also says because GPs are now easier than other NHS services to contact, the volume of requests, sometimes about other services like hospitals, is also going up and overwhelming practice staff.
Let us know
Do you think GPs in the Brighton and Hove area are doing enough to raise awareness about what type of appointment or other requests are suitable for submitting online?
What do you think practices should be doing to help patients navigate changes made by this new policy?
Let us know by contacting us via our feedback form here, by emailing office@hwbh.co.uk, or by calling us on: 01273 234 040
Thank you!