Getting the best out of the new world of remote and digital general practice

Getting the best out of the new world of remote and digital general practice Covid-19 brought perhaps the most dramatic shift in general practice since the dawn of the NHS, with hundreds of millions of requests and appointments shifting to the telephone or to apps. [...] In a system originally set up to see patients in person, information can be lost in the move to in digital ways of booking appointments and screening patients, and in not seeing their body language in person. [...] What needs to be done? Alongside our case studies, we arranged a series of interviews with people who trained GP staff, and staff themselves to understand the skills needed.2 We believe national UK bodies like Royal Colleges, and the General Medical Council should endorse the list identified through this study of the competencies and capabilities people need. [...] They should ensure this is aligned with the strategies published in Scotland and Wales, and establish a cross-government unit to oversee implementation, as recommended by the House of Lords Communications and Digital Committee. [...] The choices that each practice makes around digital and remote care is shaped by the infrastructure they started with and the way they organise themselves, leading to the selection and use of particular technologies and process.