Has anyone had a virtual appointment with the nhs?

[Viv0321]

Has anyone had a virtual appointment with the nhs? What was it like?

Anyone?

Yes several. It depends what's it's for as to how they do it.

Yes, 3 for totally different things.

One was a 'hmm not sure, not clear on photos, I really need to see it' so took child down to Drs.

The others were just like a face to face but over the phone.

The other

Yes a few. I've found them really good - I spent much more time chatting to my consultant than I would have done face to face! Only annoying thing is getting bloods and any other tests done but my GP has been doing most of them.

Yes, but as NHS staff! We do loads now. Ours are telephone only, or if the patient has the right technology, video via a secure app thing. You have a personal log in, and can log in before your clinic time, the Dr gets a notification that you're in the 'waiting room' and then logs on when ready. After that, it's just like Zoom/Facetime etc. Some funny calls where I've not seen the patient's face coz of their camcera etc, but it's a real ice breaker! I also think patients are more relaxed in their own environment too.

Yes one same day with GP following me submitting an e-consult form, brief discussion about next steps then a phone call from consultant a few days later and direct referral for procedure. Brilliant - avoided travel and unnecessary poking around when the procedure was always going to be the outcome.

Anyone had video instead of a phonecall? Sounds awkward.

Yes a couple. But I needed to be able to show them what my child could do.

Ones where there was no need to "show" anything were just conversations

Diabetes clinic was video call, well half video call. They had technical issues so half was on the phone.
We had to log on to a virtual waiting room, connected to our consultant but it kept cutting off.
No height, weight and blood pressure or Hba1c blood test. They insisted on my son being there, but didn't ask him anything directly and infact he didn't speak at all. He didn't need to leave his xbox, so completely pointless him missing the morning from school.

My gp has an E consult form which we have used several times and we have found it brilliant.

We had a paediatrician video call for DS. I don't really like video calls anyway but it was ok, I found it heard to hear at times.

Yes a phone annual check with asthma nurse.

Emailed a photo of a skin issue, to the surgery (rang, explained to triage nurse she asked for photos) GP rang to discuss options then issued the prescription direct to the pharmacy.

Worked really well.

Yes, video appointment.
The consultant didn’t have the info he needed (scan photo) and said he needed to see me face to face.........

Yes, DS has had a video call with his Dr and has another next week. It worked very well, saved us ££s in travel and time!

I had virtual physio which was pointless. In the end she asked me to come for a face to face appointment.

Phone consultant with Neuro specialist with follow up copy of letter to other Depts. He got a couple of facts wrong.

Had a couple of phone appointments for DS but he's needed to go in for F2F examination both times.

I also do occasional clinics, we offer all patients video consultation but about half opt for telephone only. The video ones can be a bit technically dodgy as hospital wifi is somewhat unreliable, but when they work, I prefer them hugely over telephone. You get much better rapport and non-verbal communication with a patient when you can actually see them, and I feel less like I am talking into the void! I found a whole morning of telephone appointments completely draining, no idea how GPs do it all the time.