Older people are being excluded from GP services due to a shift towards digital booking systems, a study has found.
The report’Waiting attention‘, published by the charity Re-engage, highlights that low internet use among older people, difficult-to-navigate systems and the removal of traditional booking routes are causing delays in care and increased pressure on emergency services.
A survey by the charity found that one in three of 668 respondents aged 75 and over could only book a GP appointment online, with more than three quarters (77%) saying they did not want this booking method to become more common.
Jenny Willott, CEO of Recommitsaid: “The increasing use of online booking is leaving older people frustrated, feeling like they are being discriminated against and dehumanised.
“They clearly prefer to make an appointment with their GP over the phone or in person, but they say the constant advance of digitalisation is leaving them behind.
“Some don’t even bother trying to get an appointment anymore, while others take the risky route of treating themselves. It’s really a bleak picture.”
The report identified that online bookings and consultations are key issues driving negative attitudes towards GP services in older people.
Seven in 10 (70%) people surveyed said they lacked the equipment or skills to book digitally, and 63% said online access increased their feelings of loneliness and isolation.
The survey also revealed that 62% of older people do not have someone to help them make a reservation online, and only one in five visits do so in person.
Freedom of information requests made by Re-engage to integrated care boards and health boards revealed unequal access to GPs across the UK: 81% of respondents in England said telephone and in-person appointments were available, compared to 71% in Wales and 21% in Scotland.
Re-engage calls on UK governments to “ensure that choice of GP telephone and in-person bookings is maintained” and include a condition that non-digital access is available in GP contracts.
The charity also wants older people to be involved in shaping digital health policy and service design and for data to be collected centrally to “identify age groups negatively affected by digitalisation”.
A spokesperson for NHS England said Digital health news: “While online booking forms offer patients an additional way to access care, they do not replace traditional methods, and all GP practices are contractually obliged to allow patients to book appointments by telephone or by attending reception in person.
“We have upgraded thousands of GP phone systems and, by extending the hours for submitting initial requests online, we are freeing up phone lines for those who prefer to make an appointment over the phone.”
Digital health news He contacted the British Medical Association for comment.
To find out more about digital exclusion, listen to this episode of Digital Health Unplugged which explores whether the NHS’s shift to digital is improving access to healthcare or creating new barriers.
