I am lucky enough to be a member of a private heath care scheme which is organised by my employer. It’s not entirely free as I pay tax on the benefit of receiving this perk. It’s interesting to note that even private healthcare is changing too as it was recently announced by the scheme that initial appointments with Hospital Consultants will now be available over the phone rather than having to actually attend hospital.
I am keeping an open mind about this at the moment but due to the level of referral (by an existing medical professional), I do wonder whether perhaps video conferencing (maybe over the internet) might in some circumstances be more appropriate rather than just a chat on the phone, particularly for certain visible conditions and illnesses. Some 55% of communication is via body language which can’t be seen on the phone and surely this important part of communication should not be disregarded.
I know that I would certainly welcome the ability to book a routine medical appointment over the internet with my local GP rather than ringing a constantly engaged telephone no. and a telephone consultation would be acceptable in some instances which would save time all around . This surely should be the way to go for ordering repeat prescriptions too and no doubt it is already being practised by some surgeries.
I have to admit to feeling rather sceptical about the prospect of having any minor surgery at a GPs surgery because of a previous experience. I would expect there to be very stringent rules and governance in place regarding the competency of those carrying out any such practise and the appropriate risk assessments in place.
