On Friday 6 March 2020 the Minister for Health and Social Care agreed a plan to deploy a video consultation solution to all GP Practices in Wales within a 12 week period.
TEC Cymru, a Welsh Government sponsored programme hosted within Aneurin Bevan University Health Board, has been piloting a video consultation solution called AttendAnywhere. The pilot has received good feedback and the platform was identified as suitable to be scaled nationally. The Welsh Government has asked TEC Cymru to start rapidly upscaling the project to deliver a national video consultation service for all GP practices in Wales.
There are two purposes of the rollout:
- To offer face-to-face video access with GPs for people who are self-isolating from Covid-19. This will help to protect front line staff from infection alongside the 111 online symptom checker, PPE for GPs and telephone consultations. Having more remote consultations will also reduce potential contamination between patients who attend GP practices in person.
- A Healthier Wales sets out a commitment to deliver health services to the citizens of Wales in new ways and closer to home. The delivery of an option to consult with GPs by video aligns with these long term strategic aims.
The Welsh Government appreciates that this rapid delivery will require a great deal of effort from GP practices across Wales, at a time when services are under pressure.
“GPCW welcome and fully support this initiative at a very difficult time for general practice. It will go some way towards keeping all staff in Primary Care safe during this testing period and help maintain basic services.”
Dr Phil White, Chair GPCW
Over the coming days and weeks all Health Boards and GP practices will receive information about the rollout from TEC Cymru. The Welsh Government asks that practices and Health Boards do everything they can to ensure the rapid delivery of this solution once they receive these directions.
This article was written by the Welsh Government.