Covid Q&A: Can I see my GP face-to-face now?

GPs in Wales are facing a "significant increase in pressure" coping with appointments, senior doctors have said.

There has been a large rise in appointment requests, the British Medical Association Wales (BMA) said.

Figures show that in the past eight weeks GPs have faced 18% higher rates of appointments than pre-Covid levels, Dr Phil White said.

The Welsh government said it was working with the BMA to assess support for practices.

Dr White, chair of the BMA's Welsh general practitioners committee, said that although face-to-face consultations were increasing, the Covid measures in place, such as room cleaning, means appointments take "twice as long".

"General practice is under considerable pressure, many consultations are around waiting lists, and the numbers of mental health consultations has risen dramatically," he said.

BMA Cymru said workload pressures are increasing for staff in GP practices as they continue to respond to the pandemic, alongside patients' wider health needs.

"GPs are working tirelessly to meet demand, alongside delivering Covid-19 vaccinations quickly and effectively," it said.

Yes you can - but only if it is decided there is a clinical need for a face-to-face consultation.

In the first place, all contact with the patient will be by phone or video for an appointment.

As Wales is in the recovery phase coming out of lockdown, the number of patients physically inside practices will be controlled to minimise risk, the Welsh government said.

BMA Cymru said face-to-face appointments "may take longer" because of social distancing.

Appointments will vary for each practice and patients are advised to look on their local GP website for the latest guidance, the medical body in Wales said.

It also said that a phone-first treatment system - where a patient contacts the surgery and a doctor calls back to do a remote consultation - helped to "reserve face to face appointments for patients that needed it the most clinically whilst protecting against Covid spread".

Appointments may not necessarily be with a GP, but can be provided by other practice staff, like physiotherapists, pharmacists, and practice nurses.

During lockdown, GPs mostly carried out appointments over video or phone - but continued face-to-face with patients for paediatric immunisations and essential services such as warfarin monitoring.

Face-to-face dental appointments are increasing and remote treatment is falling, according to the British Dental Association Cymru.

However, it said rules around attending in-person are that patients with urgent needs are a priority.

Few, if any, practices are offering routine appointments on the NHS, the British Dental Association Cymru said.

The dental body in Wales said that patients with an urgent need will usually have some sort of remote treatment normally a phone call beforehand, but this can vary.

Most practices are now offering aerosol generating procedures (AGPs) - such as receiving a filling - since being under amber phase, but some are still referring.

Currently for GP surgeries in Wales, all patient contact will initially be via telephone or video consultation.

BMA Cymru said that where appropriate its expect telephone consultations to remain for GP surgeries.

The Welsh government said whilst Wales remains in the recovery phase, the number of patients physically inside practices will be controlled to minimise risk.

It also said digital consultations are now a "significant feature" of patient treatment and they allow access to convenient appointments without having to leave the house.

BMA Cymru also said that overall remote appointments have "improved over time with practices adopting the latest technology to be as effective as possible".

"Even with partial relaxation, Covid restrictions have reduced capacity for face-to-face consultations by more than a half, so without remote contact by phone or video, things would be considerably worse," it said.

Many consultations around waiting lists, mental health and non-Covid related consultations has risen dramatically, according to Dr White.

He said GPs in Wales have seen a "significant rise" in requests for appointments.

BMA Cymru said that lots of GP surgeries have received contact from patients following up on secondary care appointments, such as test results.

"It is important to avoid contacting your GP about hospital appointments and results as they have no knowledge of waiting times", it said.

Before arriving to an in-person appointment, there are a few things to bear in mind.

Rules for GP surgeries include wearing face masks, social distancing and waiting outside to be called in for an appointment.

BMA Cymru advises people to check their local practice's website for the latest guidance and to ask any extra questions when booking your appointment.

Similarly for attending the dentist's, you'll be expected to wear a mask, wait outside to be called in and then to have your temperature taken before entering.

The British Dental Association Cymru advises patients to let the practice know if you have any Covid symptoms - and not attend.