GPs in Nottinghamshire cancel face-to-face appointments to protect patients

Routine face-to- face appointments have now been cancelled for most patients, except the most vulnerable or urgent cases after being triage- assessed by GPs.

Instead, patients are required to describe their healthcare issues online or to a call handler, so that GPs can make a clinical decision about how to safely provide advice and treatment.

The NHS wants to ensure that the most vulnerable patients attending practices for urgent issues are not exposed to large groups of patients who could be carrying the virus without knowing.

The move also aims to help GPs prioritise patients with the most urgent illnesses and injuries while other parts of the NHS are under extreme pressure with coronavirus cases.

Dr Nicole Atkinson, who is a GP in Eastwood and clinical lead in the local NHS system, said: “It’s important to recognise that this is a rapidly developing situation and we will need to continually change and develop the way we work as the situation evolves.

“Our overall priority is to protect local patients and ensure local people can access the services they need.”

Dr Atkinson added: “We will of course keep local people informed about any changes that affect their ongoing care.”

People can help the local NHS and prevent the spread of infection by taking simple steps such as ordering prescriptions online and using the www.NHS.uk service for the latest advice about coronavirus.