Fewer face-to-face GP appointments in Wigan as phone and video consultations surge since pandemic

And while there has been a three-fold increase in consultations held this way, the number of face-to-face appointments dropped by more than 10 per cent.

Many surgeries introduced alternatives to face-to-face appointments when the Covid-19 pandemic began in 2020, to help prevent the spread of the virus, and they have continued ever since.

There is currently a GP improvement programme run by NHS England which includes “optimising contact channels”, that is offering patients the choice of contacting their GP in person, by telephone or online.

But telephone and video consultations have received a mixed response, with some people finding them more convenient and others preferring to see a doctor in person.

There have particularly been concerns for those who may struggle to use technology, such as elderly people and those with disabilities.

The Wigan Post has analysed official statistics from NHS England to reveal how appointments are now being carried out between patients and GPs at surgeries in the borough.

In September 2019, there were a total of 133,918 appointments in the area covered by NHS Wigan Borough Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG).

This rose by 8.7 per cent to 145,569 appointments in September 2024, following a shake-up which means Wigan now comes under NHS Greater Manchester Integrated Care Board (ICB).

The data came from 59 practices in 2019 and 55 in 2024.

In September 2019, there were 112,948 face-to-face appointments, but this fell by 10.4 per cent to 101,190 in the same month in 2024.

The number of telephone appointments rose greatly, from 8,870 in 2019 to 35,481 in 2024 (300 per cent), while video and online appointments climbed from 2,987 to 5,426 (81.7 per cent).

There were also 2,005 home visits in 2019, dropping by 7.5 per cent to 1,855 in 2024.

The data shows the type of appointment was “unknown” 7,108 times in 2019 and 1,617 times in 2024.

During the time period covered, the number of patients registered at Wigan practices has increased from 323,182 in September 2019 to 350,655 in September 2024.

Ben Squires, director of primary care for NHS Greater Manchester, said: “Making sure all our patients can get a GP appointment when they need one the most is a priority for NHS Greater Manchester and across England as a whole – with greater flexibility of the types of appointments on offer helping to do this.

“By providing the option of video and phone call appointments as well as face-to-face, it is giving patients more choice to help them fit consultations in around work and home life and allows more people to speak with their GP and faster.

“Many patients value the flexibility of not having to physically attend the practice for their appointment. But we know that virtual or phone call consultations are not suitable for every patient and for every medical situation, which is why GP practices will always try to book the best appointment type for each individual and a patient always has the option for it to be in-person if they prefer.”