Helen Salisbury: GPs versus hairdressers? Streeting has no idea

Abstract

The row about online access to GP services continues.1 In April it was agreed that GPs would keep online portals open in their core hours, but a six month delay was put in place. This was so that NHS England could develop measures to prevent surgeries being overwhelmed—and, most importantly, to ensure that clinically urgent cases weren’t missed. Last week Wes Streeting, the health secretary, claimed that safeguards were now in place to prevent urgent and emergency requests coming by this online route.1 This is not true. There are no safeguards. Simply putting a disclaimer on your website is not effective: even if patients read it, they can be poor …