DAUK has warned a new feature to allow family members and carers to manage the medical information of loved ones won’t solve the underlying problem of a lack of GPs.
The ‘family access’ option on the NHS app is currently being piloted. It will let people apply online to add another person’s profile to their NHS app.
Dr Steve Taylor, GP co-lead for the Doctors’ Association UK (DAUK), said the move was not a silver bullet.
He praised the app for features like ordering prescriptions, checking blood test results, and providing patients with access to their own medical records.
GP shortage
However, he stressed the system still struggles to deliver timely appointments because of a shortage of GPs.
Dr Taylor was speaking on Morning Glory Mike Graham on Talk TV.
He said: “You can use it to book appointments, but there are only so many appointments.
“It doesn’t solve the ultimate problem, which is getting access to a GP, and we’re short of GPs.”
Dr Taylor, who is one of the 38 million registered users of the app, added that patients can usually see blood test results within two to three days, but warned that digital services can sometimes leave older people behind.
Discriminative
“It can be discriminative against older people, which is probably why they’re trying to open it up to carers so other people can access it for them,” he said.
“But in certain relationships – tricky or even coercive ones – this could be a big problem.”
Meanwhile, Dr Taylor has warned that millions of face-to-face appointments could be lost when new rules require practices to keep online consultation systems open throughout core hours from October.
Speaking to GP Online, Dr Taylor said the change could overwhelm practices, forcing cuts to in-person care.
He said: ‘There is limited capacity of appointments and time, so with the increase in access requests this will have an effect on other parts of patient services.
“This will include fewer face-to-face appointments, possibly waiting lists and fewer pre-booked appointments being offered.”
Unemployed GPs
Dr Taylor warned the policy could harm rather than improve patient care without investment in GP recruitment.
“There are available GPs who are unemployed or underemployed,” he said.
Read the article in full on GP Online.
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