GP telephone first system 'here to stay'

A phone first system adopted by most GP surgeries at the start of the pandemic is "here to stay", the Royal College of GPs (RCGPs) in Northern Ireland has said.

However, the RCGP has also accepted patient access needs to improve.

The system was introduced in spring 2020.

According to GPs, the move, which was imposed by government and came without either consultation or prior information, was necessary to minimise the risk of infection of Covid-19.

But there is concern among some members of the public that the system is not working.

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