Online Gp's – is This the Way Forward?

Alice Grebot wrote in the Daily Mail on Sunday Review 2 Health Section that 'Gone are the days when a visit to a GP has to be face-to-face ! Apparently online and phone consultations are available with private doctors and you can also talk via a live video link. And, there is every possibility that the NHS may follow suit! They stated that services such as Skype could make the NHS more convenient. It is aimed at the sort of patients who may not be able to leave their home or get an appointment with their usual GP. Online Pharmacy Chemist Direct is piloting an online doctors video consultation service, which is planned to launch early next year. All you need to do is to make an appointment online to 'see' a GMC Registered doctor, with whom a 15 minute consultation will cost you £29.95 They say that 'GP's can ask questions as patients describe their symptoms, and prescriptions can be sent to the patient the same day'. Such services are now also making an appearance on the High Street, Lloydspharmacy is trialling a private doctor video consultation service as part of the Company's 'Health Village' in North London where they have a retail one-stop shop for all your health needs and where a 15 minute consultation cost £35. Obviously where a patient may require a physical examination this type of appointment would not be appropriate. Personally I worry about the elderly who need their face-to-face visits with their GP's and who many do not have, nor want access to the internet and would struggle to pay for this service. How do you feel about this latest move for your health care?