Annual review over the phone

I love the over the phone reviews. It saves me hours - instead of sitting in a waiting room for at least 30 minutes because they are always running late, I can carry on working from home waiting for the phone call and don't need to waste the 40 minutes travel to the clinic and back.
As I have always done, the phlebotomist takes my blood at the local surgery a couple of weeks before the review. Blood pressure, weight, etc. can also be checked at the surgery via a self-service machine, if it has not been done for a few years.
Given the usual foot check and injection site checks have just been the question "are they ok?", nothing changes over the phone.

I am much happier with this level of care regardless of a pandemic.

Some things (like blood tests) can only be done face to face and my surgery provides this when needed but, the rest of the time, the HCPs and patients are protected.

My annual diabetic review at my docs is always done in two sections first is blood test, foot checks, blood pressure, that is still done at my docs in person (with masks of course), the second one is talking to the DN (who is actually very good) but is currently being done over the phone instead of in person.

So my checks are obviously far more than just being asked if its all ok, maybe @B17_Fan 's mothers check were also more than just being asked if they're ok.

It does have to be said I love having my hospital appointments over the phone - but then they never did all the checks anyway as my doctors do that, mainly cos the hospital appointments take so long to get there (either drive 15 mins, spend 30 mins trying (failing) to get parked or bus for 30 mins - sometimes delayed), then were always always always running late - sometimes upto a few hours late

B17_Fan said:

My mum has just booked her annual review with a nurse...after waiting for 2 hours to get a callback from our gp surgery! It's a phone consultation...but how can they seriously give patients proper care over the phone?? They can't check her feet, her blood pressure or injection sites remotely! I think it's terrible that doctors surgeries are not seeing patients still. And she has an arthritis review next month...over the phone! Sorry if I shouldn't rant, and I know covid cases are rising and we all need to keep practicing safety guidelines...but it is concerning that you can't even be seen just once a year for an ongoing condition. I don't know how anyone else here feels about it?

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I feel the same and have challenged them about this unnecessary safetyism. Some patients are getting through in my area e.g. a friend who is very hard of hearing for whom Zoom calls don't work.
I hope your mum has a list of questions to ask and get her to check her injection sites for lumps etc.
A local podiatrist can do a more thorough foot check which I think is worth paying for as docs are usually reluctant to do this even in non covid times.
She should also have had a blood test done prior to the check so that at least the doctor knows about her lipids, kidney and liver function plus how suagary she's been in the prior 12 weeks.
She may be due an eye check by whoever does those in your area.
Obviously the tele consultants are highly convenient if you are working and it is only a transactional conversation e.g. requesting more drugs or a referral but more stickier problems I think face to face is beneficial.
Cases are rising because it is Winter and there are bugs going around but as adults I do think we ought to be able to mange our own risk here.

I’m very happy to have my annual review discussion by phone. It saves me time and also frees up a bit of time for the HCPs to ‘see’ more patients. And, importantly it reduces the risk of spreading infection in a clinical environment. Prior to the pandemic I attended a specialist diabetes clinic at hospital (30 minute drive each way) and it was very well organised and I got tested for just about everything associated with diabetes. But it was a clinic and the waiting room was usually full.

My last annual review tests were undertaken at the local surgery just 5 minutes away. I had bloods taken, submitted a urine sample, had my BP tested. Bloods and urine were sent for analysis and I could access the full range of results online after about four days. About a week later I received notification that my consultant would phone at a specific to discuss my results at length. I also had a phone call from the surgery as my GP wanted to discuss my slightly raised ACR level.

Admittedly a phone consultation does not quite have the same personal touch as a face to face chat, but under the prevailing circumstances I’m all for them.

I went in yesterday for bloods and foot check with HCA (took in my own BPs as always get white coat syndrome) and will have a review by phone with the DN in a couple of weeks. I far prefer it this way as it’s safer (I’m CEV) and saves time.

I prefer phone reviews/appointments and I hope in future we will still get the option to have them.
My GPs is less than a 10 minute walk away but the hospital clinic I attend requires 2 buses to get to. We're hoping to move soon and I'll be attending the same hospital, it'll still be 2 buses away but one of them the journey time is over an hour
At my GPs I've been seen in person when they've deemed it necessary but otherwise it's phone appointments or e-consults and I'd much rather be anxious waiting for a phone call at home in my pyjamas with a cup of tea than sat in the waiting room potentially catching other people's germs (covid or otherwise)