Should Face-to-Face Doctors Appointments Be Mandatory?

My GP is run by some amazing doctors. They always give face to face appointments, unless you require a telephone one by yourself. God Bless them!

I spent 2 hours trying to connect vis PATCHES its a joke..Im a pensioner fairly literate online but it is SO SO complicated round and round te houses with it and still no success..I dont want to get up at 7.30 every morning to hang on a line for an hour and a half to be told at 1 minute past 9 that there is nothing available!! …I ts time to get Doctors back into the office..Im sorry but the NHS has the funding Its nonsense that it doesn't They need to get rid of the unnecessary diversity and inclusion nonsense and sort out the many systematic failures throughout the NHS ..its a disgrace..!

What happens if people don’t use the internet? Like the elderly or people who aren’t tech savvy?

This shouldn't be a surprise, should it?

Doing it this way results in many more appointments being available. Particularly for minor issues (eg stuff where antibiotics will sort it).

Face to face only when necessary. Online when not so serious.

Welcome to the general publics health
concerns !!!

The high credibility of GP’s has fallen, and that’s their own fault, if all they want is to be is a medical telephonist so be it, that’s what they should be called. Members of the reception team are the ones who decides by a tick box exercise, whose inbox the online form goes in, I was told that by them when one of mine went missing. I wont use that system now. And face to face appointments should be mandatory, unless the patient specifically asks for a telephone appointment it should be their choice not the GP, or receptionists.

It should be up to the patient. My gp offer both when you ring up. They ask would you like face to face or over the phone, face to face appointments are more difficult to get (whether that’s because there’s less off them as they take longer, or more people are wanting them). I’d rather have a phone call appointment than non at all! This lady is being dramatic, maybe her surgery has become difficult and won’t give in person ones without a fight, but that’s up to her surgery to change. It’s not a systematic issue.

I prefer phone call as too unwell to travel then have to sit in a waiting room for 2hrs. Obviously, depends on the condition.

Shocking should not happen face to face is only way if you have health problems

Seeing a doctor is rarer than hens teeth,

My GP Practice in Belfast it is mandatory. I think circumstances are different. I had a chest infection & really wasn't fit to go to the practice. I would've preferred they'd given me the Antibiotic over the phone. Rather than me having to go to the Surgery.