See a GP on my smartphone? Sorry, I’m not convinced | Ann Robinson

I hope I’m not being a Luddite but a new scheme allowing patients to dial in for a virtual appointment may have advantages for some people – it’s not for me, though

• Ann Robinson is a GP

This is the dawning of the age of smartphone GPs. A pilot scheme covering 3.5 million patients in London is offering a round-the-clock service that lets you check symptoms using a mobile app and then have a video consultation with a GP within two hours if needed. A group of GPs is providing its “GP at Hand” service to the NHS in partnership with tech company Babylon, which already offers smartphone GP consultations to private patients.

I’m a GP myself, but like any doctor I’m also occasionally a patient. So I thought I’d go online and see what it’s like from the user’s point of view.

Related: The doctor will see you now… on your smartphone

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Continue reading... November 07, 2017 at 08:24PM