Covid 19: a fork in the road for general practice

We must choose a personal not an impersonal future Covid-19 has produced the biggest change in the organisation of UK general practice for 200 years. As in many countries, face-to-face consultations have fallen to about 10% of their previous level and most contacts are now provided remotely using symptom checkers, electronic messaging, and phone or video consultations. Several of these changes may be permanent, with fewer face-to-face consultations in future. Opportunity and danger are two aspects of change: both now apply to general practice. GPs currently have quieter waiting rooms, fewer locums, and reduced regulatory burdens such as from Care Quality Commission inspections. However, normal workload is returning, and while remote consulting makes access much easier for some patients, there is a real risk that general practice will suddenly become less personal. Worryingly, remote consultations may increase overall GP workload and exclude patients without internet access.1 This colossal change in organisation occurred just when research on the doctor-patient relationship had reached new heights. Over many years, research on the value of continuity of care has progressively strengthened. As early …