Virtual GP appointments up five-fold in a year, reaching record highs, new data reveals READ MORE: GPs ban patients from making appointments over the phone By Shaun Wooller Health Editor For The Daily Mail Published: 00:01, 2 October 2024 | Updated: 00:01, 2 October 2024 e-mail View comments The proportion of GP appointments conducted online or via video has hit a record high despite concerns over patient safety, official figures reveal. The rate has increased five-fold in a little over a year, from one in 100 consultations in May 2023 to one in 20 this August, according to NHS England. Patient groups warn the push to remote care can deter some people from seeking help and risks serious diseases such as cancer being missed.
Elderly people who feel uncomfortable revealing personal medical issues over the internet may be more likely to suffer, campaign group Silver Voices added. The rate of virtual GP appointments increased five-fold in a little over a year, from one in 100 consultations in May 2023 to one in 20 this August, according to NHS England The proportion of GP appointments delivered by video or online has been rising steadily for much of the past year-and-a-half, passing 1 per cent in May 2023, 2 per cent in August and 3 per cent in December. It hit 4 per cent in March this year and stood at 5.
2 per cent in August - the first time it has been above 5 per cent. The increase in appointments done by video or online has coincided with a fall in the proportion of face-to-f.
