What assessment has the Welsh Government made of the use of virtual medical appointments and checkups?
In 2022, the GMS Access Commitment set out the Welsh Government’s expectations for improved access to GP services. The Access Commitment requires GP practices to adopt a blended model of access, offering a mix of remote, face-to-face, urgent, on-the-day and pre-bookable appointments. In March 2024, 97% of practices in Wales reported they were achieving this commitment.
We funded Technology Enabled Care (TEC) Cymru to lead on the rollout of the NHS Wales video consulting service. As part of the TEC Cymru programme, phased evaluation reports have been undertaken looking at both the quantitative and qualitative use and value of the video consulting service has been for NHS Wales. The evaluation identified the benefits of using video conferencing from an appointments perspective for both professionals and patients and included exploring ways that improvements and innovation could help further the service.