‘Technology needs to support patient care, not detract from it’ says College Chair

College Chair Kamila Hawthorne responds to an investigation report from the HSSIB into digital tools for online consultation in general practice. 

Professor Kamila Hawthorne, Chair of the Royal College of GPs, said: “Delivering safe patient care is the number one priority for GPs and our teams, and it’s important that the use of any technological innovation in general practice supports us in this, and doesn't detract from it.

“Many GP practices will have introduced online triage systems, in line with official recommendations, in order to ensure their patients receive timely and appropriate care for their health care needs. We know that some practices – and patients – find these work well, but it’s clear from this report that others don’t, and this can have very serious consequences. 

“There is clearly a place for technology in healthcare, but when it is introduced, it is essential it is done so safely and in a way that both helps patients to access our care and services, and helps practices manage the escalating demand for them. The purpose of these online tools is not to discourage people from accessing care, and it is certainly not to inadvertently increase health inequalities, which the report suggests is sometimes the case. As such we would support the HSSIB’s recommendations to support safety improvements when using online tools in general practice. 

"GPs and their teams need adequate time to implement and learn to use new digital tools, and ongoing technical support for dealing with issues that may arise. More widely, this just goes to show to the new government how important it will be to invest properly in general practice infrastructure, including IT systems, and boost the GP workforce, so that we can provide safe, timely and accessible care for all our patients.”

Further information

RCGP press office: 0203 188 7659
press@rcgp.org.uk

Notes to editors

The Royal College of General Practitioners is a network of more than 54,000 family doctors working to improve care for patients. We work to encourage and maintain the highest standards of general medical practice and act as the voice of GPs on education, training, research and clinical standards.