I AM no Luddite – but I am very worried about the drive, galvanised by the pandemic, for medical care to be increasingly provided online.
It touches on the very core of general practice: the magic of medical consultation with a skilled and experienced generalist who knows the patient and provides continuity of care.
Trying to deliver this through online consulting is a highway to second-class care. Technology is fine for minor illness, small explanations and reassurances. But it is no cure at all when it comes to managing chronic ill-health, diagnosing ill-defined symptoms or taking care of patients who require multiple medications.
This kind of care is not possible in the new world of convenient short cuts. But I fear our political leaders, cushioned from the real world, will never have to experience what the rest of us must endure – and won’t halt this ‘progress’.
