GPs raise alarm as patients flag life-threatening symptoms in non-urgent form
Over two-thirds of GPs concerned with patient safety amid access changes
- GP surgeries in England are now required to keep online consultation platforms open during working hours for non-urgent requests.
- Family doctors report that patients are using these non-urgent forms to submit details about life-threatening conditions, including difficulty breathing and severe vomiting.
- A new poll found that over two-thirds (67 per cent) of GPs and practice managers are concerned about patient safety since the change was implemented.
- GPs describe being overwhelmed by the volume of online requests, making it difficult to effectively triage urgent cases and manage workload.
- The British Medical Association is in dispute with the government, warning that a lack of safeguards and additional staff risks patient safety and overburdens general practice teams.