Data comparing 29 European countries shows England had longest continuous period of excess mortality; second wave ‘rolling across Europe’, says Hancock
- GP consultations ‘should be online by default’
- Isolation period may rise to 10 days
- Country quarantine list could be added to in days
- Global coronavirus live: latest updates
3.12pm BST
The Royal College of General Practitioners has expressed concern about Matt Hancock’s call in his speech earlier for all GP consultations to be by phone or video unless there is a “compelling reason” for the patient to be seen face to face. (See 12.08pm.) In a lengthy response to Hancock’s speech, Prof Martin Marshall, the RCGP chair, said:
Mr Hancock is also keen for GPs and our teams to continue making greater use of technology post-pandemic, and the college is too, to an extent, and as long as it is safe. We should remember that the changes were made out of necessity – to keep our patients and our teams safe and to help stop the spread of Covid-19. While there is a compelling case to retain some aspects of the different ways we’ve been working, we certainly do not want to see general practice become a totally remote service.
A totally, or even predominantly, remote general practice service wouldn’t be in anybody’s best interests long-term, and throughout the pandemic face to face appointments have been facilitated when they’ve been necessary. Remote consultations have benefits – they can be convenient for patients, and GPs have reported they have found them to be an efficient way of delivering care – but there are some things that simply can’t be done remotely, for example, when a physical examination is necessary or for a vaccination. Many patients also prefer seeing their GP in person, and many GPs prefer this too, particularly for patients with complex health needs who really value the relationship-based care that GPs excel at delivering.
3.05pm BST
Public Health Wales has recorded two further coronavirus deaths in Wales.
The latest number of confirmed cases of Coronavirus in Wales has been updated.
Data dashboard:
Find out how we are responding to the spread of the virus in our daily statement here: https://t.co/u6SKHz0zsG pic.twitter.com/HayYTfV2Xe
Continue reading…Data comparing 29 European countries shows England had longest continuous period of excess mortality; second wave ‘rolling across Europe’, says HancockGP consultations ‘should be online by default’Isolation period may rise to 10 daysCountry quarantine list could be added to in daysGlobal coronavirus live: latest updates 3.12pm BSTThe Royal College of General Practitioners has expressed concern about Matt Hancock’s call in his speech earlier for all GP consultations to be by phone or video unless there is a “compelling reason” for the patient to be seen face to face. (See 12.08pm.) In a lengthy response to Hancock’s speech, Prof Martin Marshall, the RCGP chair, said:Mr Hancock is also keen for GPs and our teams to continue making greater use of technology post-pandemic, and the college is too, to an extent, and as long as it is safe. We should remember that the changes were made out of necessity – to keep our patients and our teams safe and to help stop the spread of Covid-19. While there is a compelling case to retain some aspects of the different ways we’ve been working, we certainly do not want to see general practice become a totally remote service. A totally, or even predominantly, remote general practice service wouldn’t be in anybody’s best interests long-term, and throughout the pandemic face to face appointments have been facilitated when they’ve been necessary. Remote consultations have benefits – they can be convenient for patients, and GPs have reported they have found them to be an efficient way of delivering care – but there are some things that simply can’t be done remotely, for example, when a physical examination is necessary or for a vaccination. Many patients also prefer seeing their GP in person, and many GPs prefer this too, particularly for patients with complex health needs who really value the relationship-based care that GPs excel at delivering. 3.05pm BSTPublic Health Wales has recorded two further coronavirus deaths in Wales.The latest number of confirmed cases of Coronavirus in Wales has been updated.Data dashboard:https://t.co/zpWRYSUbfhhttps://t.co/HSclxpZjBhFind out how we are responding to the spread of the virus in our daily statement here: https://t.co/u6SKHz0zsG pic.twitter.com/HayYTfV2Xe Continue reading…