The healthcare sector is shifting, with ‘telemedicine’ on the rise. What are the benefits to UK patients of online doctor appointments?

5 minute read

Technology and healthcare have become increasingly connected in recent years and nowhere is this more apparent than in the rise of telemedicine. Since the pandemic, accessing healthcare such as GP appointments remotely has become the norm for many, and telemedicine is fast becoming a fixture of healthcare in the UK.

But what is telemedicine? Are virtual appointments replacing face-to-face consultations? Are there any downsides to telemedicine? And could telemedicine provide a solution to the crisis in healthcare in the UK?

What is telemedicine?

Telemedicine is a means of providing healthcare remotely between a patient and healthcare provider. It most commonly involves live video calls using a computer or mobile phone, but may also include phone calls, apps, texts or emails.

There are three main types of telemedicine:

• Real-time two-way communication via telephone, messaging apps or video link

• Remote patient monitoring using wearable devices such as heart monitors, skin patches or smartwatches to monitor health data including blood pressure, blood glucose, oxygen levels, heart activity and respiratory rate

• Storing or sharing medical data (asynchronous telemedicine) such as CT scans, X-rays, laboratory reports, photos, videos and patient information

Telemedicine can be used to provide:

• General practice consultations

• Prescriptions

• Nonemergency follow-ups

• Mental health counselling

• Nutritional counselling

• Physiotherapy

• Tele-intensive care

In this article, we will focus on remote GP consultations in the UK.

The rise of online GP consultations in the UK

Traditionally, most GP appointments have been conducted in person, as we traipsed to our local surgery, braved an interrogation by the receptionist and flicked through some dog-eared magazines before having a face-to-face appointment with a doctor. Telemedicine, usually in the form of telephone appointments, existed, but was normally limited to follow-ups, giving test results or issuing repeat prescriptions.

With the introduction of the internet, the technology for online video appointments has existed for several decades, but it was only during theCOVID-19 pandemic that it became widespread. Online consultations with health professionals, including GPs, provided a contact-free, safe method of accessing healthcare without leaving your home and risking catching or transmitting the virus.

With the pandemic now over, the move towards telemedicine has continued and almost all GPs in the UK now offer telephone or video appointments. There has also been an increase in the number of people seeking online appointments with private GPs in the UK.

According to data published by Statista, the online doctor consultations market in the United Kingdom is projected to reach a revenue of US$294.30m in 2024 and is expected to exhibit an annual growth rate of 4.58%, resulting in a projected market volume of US$352.10m by 2028.

What are the benefits of online GP consultations?

For many people in the UK, online GP consultations have several benefits over face-to-face appointments including:

• Safety — having an online appointment removes the risk of exposure to germs in a GP waiting room. This may be particularly beneficial to the elderly, those with long-term medical conditions or weakened immune systems.

• Accessibility — telemedicine, including online GP consultations, can provide healthcare to remote and underserved populations

• Reduced waiting times — there is usually less waiting time for a virtual consultation than a face-to-face appointment. An online appointment with a private GP can often be made the same or the next day.

• Comfort — the last thing you normally feel like doing when you’re unwell is to get out of bed and brave the elements to walk or drive to your GP surgery. Online consultations mean you can speak to a doctor from the comfort of your own home.

• Convenience  — online appointments may be available at a time that suits you, such as during evenings and weekends, meaning you don’t have to take time off work or disrupt your schedule to see a GP

• Longer appointments — many private online GPs offer longer appointments than the 10 minutes allocated to NHS GPs

Are there any disadvantages?

In addition to the benefits of telemedicine, remote GP consultations may not be suitable for all patients or in all situations. Some disadvantages of online GP consultations include:

• Limited physical examination — sometimes a more thorough physical examination is required to make a correct diagnosis than can be achieved via video link

• Limited services —an online GP consultation is unable to provide additional services that may be needed to make an accurate diagnosis such as scans, X-rays, blood tests or an ECG

• Misdiagnosis or inaccurate advice —due to the limits of telemedicine there is a small chance you may be misdiagnosed or given the wrong medical advice

• Technical issues —  your consultation may be adversely affected by technical issues such as a poor internet connection, video lag or problems with sound

• Lack of personal connection and continuity of care — you may not see the same GP at every appointment which can lead to less of a personal connection and a lack of continuity of care

• Access to technology — an online GP appointment requires access to a laptop or smartphone, meaning telemedicine may not be accessible to everyone such as the elderly or those in lower socioeconomic groups

• Security and privacy — a telemedicine platform may be at risk of hacking and the theft of your personal or medical information

Babylon Health: A cautionary tale

It hasn’t all been plain sailing for the telemedicine industry. Tech start-up, Babylon Health was the first subscription health service provider that combined an artificial intelligence platform with virtual clinical services including virtual appointments with health care professionals, referrals to specialists, prescriptions and access to a range of health monitoring tools.

What happened to Babylon Health?

Under close scrutiny, however, the technology was not up to scratch, and despite the hype, the AI-powered app failed to provide an effective replacement for a qualified professional. Babylon began losing money, lost investors and collapsed into administration in September 2023.

Do patients prefer online or face-to-face appointments?

In a new qualitative study published in the British Journal of General Practice, most patients questioned were in favour of the online consultation system (OCS) citing it to be speedy, flexible and efficient and thought it had advantages over traditional appointments for minor issues like rashes or colds.

The OCS is used widely throughout the UK and Europe and involves patients requesting help from their healthcare team by completing a free text or multiple-choice questionnaire online. Practitioners then respond by written message, telephone call, video consultation, or by arranging an in-person visit.

The study found that the online consultation system was particularly popular among men, working people and those with communication difficulties such as patients with hearing loss, anxiety, autism spectrum disorders and those for whom English is not their first language. Despite initial concerns that OCS may be difficult to navigate for older patients, many older participants in the study stated that they preferred the system over traditional GP appointments.

A small number of patients expressed a preference for face-to-face appointments with complaints including poor communication about the system, confusion about the way the system works, feeling detached from their GP, lack of continuity of care and worries about being misdiagnosed.

Have online GP consultations helped to relieve the pressure on GPs in the UK?

The NHS Long Term Plan implemented by the current government includes a commitment that by 2023/24 every patient in England will be able to access a digital-first primary care offer. This includes access to primary care services via online consultations.

According to NHS England, “online and video consultations enable people to make contact with their GP practice without having to wait on the phone or take time out to come into the practice. From a practice perspective, online consultations can enhance the practice’s ability to effectively manage time and workload and improve staff satisfaction.”

It may be too soon to tell whether online GP consultations are helping to relieve the pressure on NHS GPs. The problems within the NHS run deep. While the implementation of online appointments may help NHS practices to be more efficient and offer faster, more convenient appointments to patients, the underlying problem of patient demand vastly outweighing supply continues.

In 2021/2022 there was an estimated shortage of around 4,200 full-time equivalent (FTE) fully qualified, permanently employed GPs in England. Whether appointments are conducted in person or online, the same GPs are providing these appointments — and there simply aren’t enough of them.

The private sector

One area of telemedicine that may help to relieve pressure on NHS GPs is the private sector. Private online GP consultations have soared in popularity in recent years as people choose to pay for a fast, convenient consultation rather than wait for an appointment through their GP surgery.

Ben Kent, interim CEO of Doctor Care Anywhere, one of the largest providers of telemedicine in the UK believes the rise of private online GPs can be beneficial to the NHS.

“We know the NHS is really struggling, and therefore for those who can afford it, getting services from the private healthcare sector is going to increase,” he told UK tech platform BusinessCloud. “That’s where we feel there’s an opportunity for us – but also an opportunity to solve unmet needs [by taking some of the strain away from the NHS and improving the patient journey].”

The future of telemedicine

While the future of healthcare remains uncertain in the UK, one thing we can be sure of is that telemedicine is here to stay. While telemedicine cannot replace face-to-face GP consultations, it offers a fast, accessible, convenient alternative, freeing up time for doctors and patients alike.

As technology advances, access to telemedicine improves and more services can be offered digitally, telemedicine has the potential to transform the way we receive healthcare in the UK and around the world.