Covid: Patients frustrated waiting long time for hospital appointments, says doctor

UK coronavirus cases rise by a further 27,125

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Dr Ellie Cannon – appearing on BBC Breakfast this morning – admitted that “a lot of people [are] frustrated”. The backlog for hospital appointments has meant patients are waiting a “long time” to be seen. This has also created extra pressure on general practices, as GPs are bombarded with patients requesting help when, in reality, they need to be seen by a specialist. During the pandemic, doctor clinics have trialled a hybrid model that utilises technology.

“It’s been working very, very well,” Dr Cannon said of telephone consultations.

“Many patients are keen to keep that going,” she said, adding that many people don’t want to go to a GP clinic.

Reasons for this can be varied, ranging from work commitments to caring responsibilities.

The ability to send your doctor a photograph of your concern can be “very convenient” and means you can access GP care “sooner”.

Of course, doctor’s will ask patients to come to the clinic if they feel it’s necessary.

The Government’s latest report demonstrates that the number of people admitted to hospital in the past week has increased by 380 people.

This is a 24.2 percent increase in the past seven days, but the number of deaths has decreased compared to the previous week.

New health secretary Sajid Javid – who replaced Matt Hancock – said: “We cannot eliminate Covid.”

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In light of Freedom Day – now set to be July 19 – MP Javid acknowledged that “cases are going to rise significantly”.

Keen to lift restrictions, Javid said we all need to “accept the existence of Covid and find ways to cope with it – just as we already do with flu”.

Dr Cannon is also “in favour” of restrictions opening up on July 19.

But the doctor also believes “it’s an easy win” for all of us to continue wearing masks into the winter.

Dr Cannon did say mask-wearing wouldn’t be necessary all of the time, especially in classrooms and shops, but she did say they’d be useful when:

  • Visiting hospitals
  • Visiting GP clinics
  • On public transport.

“I think there will be many people who continue to wear face masks, myself included, even after July 19 if the mandate is lifted,” Dr Cannon said.

Referring to the common cold that typically circulates in autumn and winter, face masks are considered an “easy win”.

“If you can do something simple to prevent [a cold or flu], why wouldn’t you?” she queried.

As expected, the number of Covid cases has been climbing as of late.

There has been a whopping 65,830 increase in people who have tested positive for the disease in the past week.

This is a significant rise of more than 66 percent within seven days.

Most notably, though, the number of Covid infections has not translated into the number of deaths thanks to the Covid vaccines.

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