»Doctors want “less and less” patient interaction«
After posting an advertisement for a number of remote-only GP positions paying £85 per hour, the NHS was accused of “wanting less and less” to interact with patients.
General practitioners may work from home on a three-month contract with a salary of little under £3,000 per week, or roughly £13,000 per month, with the opportunity to “deliver online digital consultations” to patients through video or phone conversations.
It does so in the midst of accumulating evidence that, although being practical for physicians, “telemedicine” may be “disastrous” for certain patients.
The move was dubbed a “dumb idea” by the distraught son of a man who passed away after receiving the wrong diagnosis during a remote GP session.
In Hampshire, postman James Dow, 61, was discovered dead in his delivery truck in October 2021 after his doctor misdiagnosed a foot ulcer as gout over the phone.
The tragedy upset James’ wife Nina, 54, and his two kids Jamie, 23, and Theo, 26.
According to a coroner, Mr. Dow’s burst foot ulcer was the direct cause of death.
Inquest testimony revealed that when he neglected to disclose the ulcer and discolouration, his doctor encouraged him to “let’s go with” the diagnosis of gout.
If NHS doctors continue to encourage remote consultations, his son Theo expressed concern that something similar to his father’s experience may occur again.
Remote appointments are a bad idea, given what happened to my dad, the electrician stated.
Since Covid, there have undoubtedly been fewer in-person appointments, and I’m certain that many individuals suffered as a result.
“GPs and other medical professionals have a responsibility of care to the people they serve, and scheduling visits remotely will result in subpar care and incorrect treatment.”
It seems that the NHS wants less and less to do with their line of work.
The remote GP role is being advertised on the NHS jobs website by a commercial firm called Medloop, which describes itself as “an NHS digital assured provider established in cooperation with primary care practitioners to best support practical care networks and patient requirements.”
If the doctor was paid for seven hours of work each day rather than eight, the salary for the three months promised would be £38,675.
The GP may earn a staggering income of almost £154,000 after one year in the position, which is just £10,000 less than the PM’s pay of £164,000.
“This work may include telephone triage and remote video consultation; perfect for folks who are unable to attend an appointment in their own home, residential environment, or nursing care setting,” the job description reads.
With an average patient load of four per hour, “We are especially focused on work in under doctored regions, helping alleviate inequities in healthcare throughout the nation.”
The position, which comes during a crippling NHS crisis that has seen nurses and paramedics on strike over wages and growing workloads inside the failing health service, pays more than five times the average hourly income in the UK.
Approximately £13.84 is what a Band 5 nurse makes each hour, according to the website NHS pay.
Although the maximum number of patients a nurse should be caring for at once is eight, the staffing shortage makes it likely that the actual number is far higher.
The average hourly wage for a member of the ambulance service is £11.92, according to Payscale.
Growing evidence indicates that remote treatment is often inferior than in-person consultations.
One research from November 2021 “expressed concerns that telemedicine may be over-used by the NHS and hospital administration as a cost and time-saving technique, rather than being in the best interests of patients,” according to the report.
According to the study, 93% of physicians and 86% of patients regarded telemedicine as “worse” than in-person consultations when it came to the treatment of rheumatic patients.
The University of East Anglia’s Felix Naughton, one of the study’s co-authors, stated: “Patients differ quite a bit in their demands and what their complaints are.
We discovered that, at least for the majority of individuals, scheduling basic appointments like check-ins and prescription renewals over the phone tended to be relatively simple.
It’s what you would describe as very basic check-ins. There was a consensus that these were the most practical options.
“Under such conditions, a chronic illness that is generally under control, a remote consultation is likely to be rather uncomplicated.”
He said, “There are some potential hazards, especially for those with more severe diseases or undetected complex disorders.
According to our research with rheumatology patients who have relatively complicated illnesses, they may find it difficult to establish the kind of medical trust that is so important for complex disorders.
And in other instances, there were worries that it would be dangerous for them if their diseases flare up or quickly deteriorate.
There were worries about certain patients that, if they were only seen remotely, they may not get a prompt answer to an urgent request in a timely manner.
It’s possible that a doctor could overlook a crucial aspect of a patient’s health as a result of the challenges of speaking remotely as compared to in person.
Despite the fact that his research focused on rheumatology patients, Professor Naughton said that there are many issues with offering remote sessions to persons who are experiencing mental health issues.
According to him, persons from lower socioeconomic backgrounds may not profit from telemedicine when it comes to mental health difficulties, and the elderly or those who are less tech-savvy or English-fluent may find it difficult to connect online or on the phone.
Being honest and allowing patients to have a role in how they communicate may be a smart method to ensure that individuals aren’t disadvantaged as a consequence, the professor said.
In support of the position, a representative from the Royal College of General Practitioners said that “excellent, safe, and adequate treatment” may be provided remotely.
“For years, GPs and our colleagues have given care and services in numerous ways, whether it in person, over the phone, through video chat, or even by text message and email,” said Professor Kamila Hawthorne, Chair of the Royal College of GPs.
The NHS should make better use of technology. Good, safe, and appropriate treatment can be provided remotely, and many patients prefer the ease it provides.
We must abandon the myth that care supplied virtually is inferior than care delivered in person.
In spite of heavy workloads and workforce challenges, “NHS general practice and individual GP practices will work in diverse ways to ensure both suitable in-person and remote services are available to fulfill the healthcare requirements of their patient group.”
The number of face-to-face GP consultations has been slowly increasing since the start of the epidemic, according to a representative for NHS England.
According to the most recent figures, the NHS provided over 31 million GP visits in November, an 18% increase from November 2019. “GPs have seen more patients and given millions more appointments each month than ever before.”
»Doctors want “less and less” patient interaction«