All GP practices across the Isle of Wight will provide online consultations from 08:00 until 18:30 from 1st October, it has been announced.
As part of the NHS 10-year health plan, there is a drive to ensure that patients have access to more care within their communities.
Online GP consultations offer a convenient way for patients to contact their GP practice. They can be used for various reasons, including describing symptoms, getting advice, requesting prescriptions, and managing some conditions.
James Roach, Director of Primary Care and Local Care at NHS Hampshire and Isle of Wight, says:
“Our GPs are working harder than ever before and are seeing record numbers of patients each week. By extending the online consultation hours, it will also allow each practice to prioritise those patients needing urgent care.
“Patients now have options regarding how they contact their GP, some may prefer to call them, and others may prefer to complete an online consultation, and our GPs are working differently to meet this demand.
“GPs are also required to publish their patient charter on their website from 1 October 2025. This will set out what patients can expect from their practice, and also how patients can support their GP team”.
Keeley Ellis, deputy director of primary care at NHS Hampshire and Isle of Wight, adds:
“As well as extending the online consultation hours, we are also asking patients to help support their local GP practice. We are asking patients to cancel bookings if they no longer need them, so that the time can be given to help support another patient, be prepared ahead of any appointment and ensure that you order your repeat prescriptions in plenty of time.
“All of these things will allow our GPs and those working in the practice to prioritise patients who need urgent help and support.”
There are 7 ways that patients can help support their local GP team:
- Be prepared: Before an appointment, think about writing down your symptoms, what you are worried about and what you want to talk about.
- Be on time: Being late for an appointment or being unavailable for a timed call-back can affect other patients.
- Cancel if needed: If you can’t go to your appointment, tell the practice as soon as you can, so that they can offer it to someone else.
- Use the NHS App or website: If you’re confident using smart phones or computers, you can book or cancel appointments, order repeat prescriptions, and see your test results online.
- Turn on notifications: If you use the NHS App, turn on notifications so the practice can contact you more easily. Please keep an eye out for messages.
- Order repeat medicines on time: Make sure you ask for repeat prescriptions on time, so you don’t run out, and only order what you need.
- Join the Patient Participation Group: You practice will have a group of patients who can offer feedback on the services it delivers. Your practice website should explain how you can join.
If you need urgent help for your physical or mental health when the general practice is closed, and you cannot wait until they reopen, go online to 111.nhs.uk or call 111.
It usually takes my Surgery 40 minutes to answer the phone
Lol
Since the pandemic so many employees have been shirking from
home.
On line appointments avoid the need for you to call the surgery so this should delight you.
How are Gp’s seeing more patients?you can’t get a face to face appointment for love ,money or at least six weeks and waiting rooms are now always empty!so who is xactly are they seeing and getting gen?.
Yes you’re right, but I’ve worked it out. You have to be on a preference list. The younger you are the higher up the list. Babies are top and pensioners are funeral fodder. Seems reasonable – after all pensioners are just a cost whose contribution has been banked already while the young have years of paying taxes ahead of them.
Since the Pandemic the health service is non
existent, you would be shocked how many of these
shirkers are working from home.
So true
YOU GOT THAT WELL RIGHT THERE IS NEVER ANYONE IN THE GP SURGERY NOW WHEN YOU GO IN ASYOU CANNOT BOOK APPOINTMENT AT THE DESK USE RAPID HEALTH WHAT A JOKE THAT IS
No reason at all for not seeing people face to face, just plain laziness from the GP’s. The GP’s use the front reception desk as a blocking system so they can just do what, not a lot that’s for sure. The whole of this needs investigation independently. You will find some doctors seriously taking the piss ( and not for testing )
Oh so does that mean they are doing face to face on the phone/ laptop etc? Or is
it just extending the E-consult to 18.30
from18.00?
If so that’s a bit of a cop out isn’t it. And I totally agree, waiting rooms are
always empty so what the xxxxxxx are they actually doing anyway?
Trying to organise an appointment even in advance is almost impossible it’s ridiculous
Perish the thought that they might actually do the job we pay them for and see us face to face, so they can actually examine us and diagnose properly. How many more wrong diagnoses and missed diagnoses will this result in?
Six years since I’ve seen a doctor at my surgery even though I’m a pensioner. Maybe I have high blood pressure, but how would they know – they don’t monitor you until you’ve keeled over. Prevention is a joke. Still it’s not all bad. Death is now accepted as a sign that something may be wrong.
Seeing more patiences when/where? The waiting room is always empty, can’t make appointments on line as not available on my doctors site, the whole system is getting worse
This is good news. E-consult is a really useful system through which many problems can be addressed without need for a face to face meeting. In my experience, the service is useful, avoids delay and saves GP time. It is very different from the old face to face for everythig approach but it is the way forward and people should, where possible, embrace it. It is not a conplete replacement for face to face appointments but rather an alternative approach which works for some issues. Primary care is now a whole range of different services designed to streamline service delivery.
they say that they are so busy but in reality they are not ever since Covid they have been so slack and never want to see anyone but they are still getting paid for doing nothing im not well and and was told if my pain continues ring 111 passing the buck i think