Perhaps what is needed is some kind of approach for the extremely vulnerable. So earlier in the year, we had to wait in our cars to be waved in through the back entrance as waiting rooms were out of use. Maybe keep a similar system in place for the very vulnerable.
It's no good having a go at people going to gp with what you deem minor ailments. Gps are supposed to be general practitioners, to deal regularly with stuff like sore throats and viruses, chicken pox and arthritis, joint pain and ear ache. Because patients are NOT medically trained and don't know if what they have is a bad cold that will clear in time, or something nastier that needs antibiotics, an infection of some sort, pneumonia (GP sent a friend of mine to hospital with pneumonia, he'd only gone with a cough that wouldn't shift.)
Yes, people need to use common sense and not get appointments for superficial cuts, or things that a pharmacy can deal with. But GPs aren't just there for the very serious illnesses. That's not their remit. Perhaps it will evolve to be that - but there needs to be an alternative for those who genuinely don't know how serious something is or isn't. I got sent to hospital because I had back pain - GP had noticed my skin and eyes were yellow, which I hadn't noticed myself. Turned out to be acute pancreatitis, needed urgent treatment. Wouldn't have been spotted via phone consult, video consults not clear enough to pick that up. Pharmacist, I imagine, would just have sold me strong painkillers and/or bounced me back to GP.
Btw, anyone else notice Boris' friend, boss of Boots, announcing £15 gp style appointments about to become available, with pharmacists able to prescribe? Here's widespread privatisation coming into play.