Remote GP consultation errors

If you have been the victim of a remote GP consultation error and would like to know if you are entitled to compensation then contact our free helpline by phone or email.

The rising risk of remote GP consultation error

Covid 19 has had a massive impact on GP practices nationwide. One particular area of change is the growth of remote GP consultations, with video examinations now replacing a significant proportion of face-to-face consultations up and down the country.

This development has wide-ranging implications for healthcare in the UK and carries the heightened risk of a remote GP consultation error being made.

Remote consultations have always played a part in general practice and many medical issues, such as repeat prescriptions, can be safely dealt with without a face-to-face consultation being necessary. Used correctly they can be a useful resource and help GPs to use their time more efficiently. However the worry is that remote consultations are now being utilised far too frequently and, worryingly, in circumstances where a remote GP consultation error could have serious consequences for the patient.

Many people involved in healthcare feel that if a patient is able to get to the surgery, then it is quicker and, above all, safer for the examination to take place on a traditional face-to-face basis. However, some practices continue to see Covid as a reason to restrict the number of patients attending the surgery. Given our vaccination programme is this still a reasonable concern? Should the tide now be turning back towards in-person GP examinations?

Going forward, when a missed diagnosis or a delayed diagnoses involving a general practitioner now occurs consideration will be given to whether it was caused by a remote GP consultation error being made.

To avoid the possibility of a medical negligence claim being brought, GPs must ensure that if they do carry out a remote examination then it should not be of a type that could involve a risk of them missing something serious. If the patient is presenting with symptoms that cannot be confidently assessed in a video examination, then a face-to-face consultation should be immediately arranged.

If you feel that you have been the victim of a remote GP consultation error and would like to know where you stand on claiming compensation for injuries suffered as a result, then contact our free legal helpline for a case assessment and details of no win, no fee funding.

Oliver Thorne

Oliver Thorne

Oliver is a campaigning medical negligence lawyer with a nationwide client base. He is spearheading the fight for justice of hundreds of British PIP breast implant victims in the French courts, while closer to home he deals with a wide variety of medical negligence cases, including birth injuries.
Oliver Thorne

Oliver Thorne

Oliver is a campaigning medical negligence lawyer with a nationwide client base. He is spearheading the fight for justice of hundreds of British PIP breast implant victims in the French courts, while closer to home he deals with a wide variety of medical negligence cases, including birth injuries.

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