GP at Hand uses an app that NHS developed with Babylon Health, a London-based technology company. Through the app, a patient can check their symptoms and, within two hours of booking, be connected with a general practitioner via smartphone video chat.
Under the pilot rollout, GP at Hand will cover 3.5 million patients in the London area. Those who join the telemedicine service will leave their current practice, and their medical records will be transferred to a group of five central London general practitioners, according to BBC.
Some medical trade organizations, like the British Medical Association, expressed concerns GP at Hand would weaken care for older patients or those living with complex conditions, who might prefer more continuity in their healthcare.
“This approach risks undermining the quality and continuity of care and further fragmenting the service provided to the public,” Dr. Richard Vautrey, chair of the general practitioners committee at the British Medical Association, told BBC.
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