Patients increasingly embracing tech for accessing healthcare

There is a growing acceptance of technology for the delivery of healthcare services in the UK, according to new research from Gemserv.

The poll examined attitudes towards accessing NHS services two years after the first UK enforced lockdown following the outset of the Covid-19 pandemic. It found that 61 per cent of patients reported that they are comfortable with GP appointments over the phone or via video calls, which was one of the marked changes to maintain social distancing as part of the wider restrictions.  

A similar figure, 60 per cent, are satisfied with their local engagement with the NHS since the outset of the pandemic, alongside 69 per cent of patients who rated the performance of the NHS since the pandemic as good or excellent.

Frontline workers, such as doctor and nurses, remain the most trusted NHS workers with 50 per cent fully trusting them, compared to 17 per cent fully trusting national healthcare leaders such as the Secretary of State for Healthcare. A quarter even reported distrusting national leaders.  

When asked what three things patients would like to see the NHS achieve by the end of this year, the most prevalent answers were reduction in non-urgent surgery waiting times (55 per cent), reduction in A&E waiting times (54 per cent) and more focus on preventing illness and the nation’s overall health (40 per cent).  

David Newell, director of health at Gemserv, said: “It is encouraging that the nation’s ‘approval ratings’ of the NHS remain high after such a tough period. However this outlook must be seen in the context of growing waiting lists that will take years to recover, placing additional strain on patient services. It is therefore critical that efforts to recover services are visible, transparent and based on clinical need. They must also be balanced against the wider structural changes needed to address the overall demand for care to create a long term sustainable NHS.

“The pandemic has been the catalyst for the digital transformation of NHS services – and while many are now comfortable with digital healthcare services, we must consider the smaller but significant number who do not support digital first, such as the elderly and most vulnerable. This is especially important alongside the context that mental health is increasingly important for most patients. This highlights the need for the NHS to take a holistic approach, focused on overall health, against the treatment focus of waiting list recovery.”