Dr Jess Sussmann of the Royal College of Psychiatrists, who has extensive experience of treating patients with chronic schizophrenia, noted:
I cannot think of one patient in my rehabilitation service who would feel comfortable using an online service to access any support. All the way through the pandemic, they have chosen to have face-to-face contact, and those who have chosen not to have it, because of anxiety about COVID, have become unwell, so we have had to reinstate face-to-face contact.Health, Social Care and Sport Committee, Official Report 15 March 2022, COL12
Giving evidence to the Committee, the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care pointed out that remote consultations were already an integral part of care delivery in general practice prior to the pandemic and went on to say:
Over time, as restrictions ease, the balance will shift towards more face-to-face appointments—as it should— but a mixture of appointment types will remain a core part of general practice, as we know that it suits many patients to have consultations with their GP over the telephone or over video.Health, Social Care and Sport Committee, Official Report 29 March 2022, COL3
During the inquiry, the Committee has learned the Scottish Government is exploring the use of online triage systems for GP practices, known as GP DACS (General Practice Digital Asynchronous Consultation Systems).