The Medical Council has published the report of its Working Group on Telemedicine that highlights the challenges and the benefits of telemedicine during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Commenting on the report, Dr Rob Hendry, Medical Director at Medical Protection said:
“The Medical Council’s new report on telemedicine, along with its recommendations, is a positive step in supporting the profession to navigate the minefield of remote consulting during the Covid-19 pandemic and beyond. Throughout the pandemic, Medical Protection has received frequent enquiries on telemedicine.
“The acknowledgment from the Medical Council that it should review its practices from a legal and policy angle, in relation to the issues identified in respect of doctors who provide telemedicine services is particularly welcomed.
“While it is right that the report acknowledges that telemedicine can improve access to healthcare for some communities, a significant number of doctors have told us about their concerns around the potential impact on vulnerable patients. Access to telemedicine could be impacted by factors such as digital literacy, disability, language, location or internet connection.
“Doctors must feel properly supported and should not be left to deal with any unintended repercussions from an increased use of telemedicine. A long-term strategic approach is needed when considering the role of virtual care beyond the pandemic. This should be based on the experiences of patients, an ongoing evaluation of the barriers to accessing telemedicine for vulnerable patient groups, and the concerns raised by doctors.”
ENDS
For further information contact: Suzi Salleh | [email protected] | +44 779 080 7722
About Medical Protection
Medical Protection is a trading name of The Medical Protection Society Limited (“MPS”). MPS is the world’s leading protection organisation for doctors, dentists and healthcare professionals. We protect and support the professional interests of more than 300,000 members around the world. Membership provides access to expert advice and support and can also provide, depending on the type of membership required, the right to request indemnity for any complaints or claims arising from professional practice.
Our in-house experts assist with the wide range of legal and ethical problems that arise from professional practice. This can include clinical negligence claims, complaints, medical and dental council inquiries, legal and ethical dilemmas, disciplinary procedures, inquests and fatal accident inquiries.
Our philosophy is to support safe practice in medicine and dentistry by helping to avert problems in the first place. We do this by promoting risk management through our workshops, E-learning, clinical risk assessments, publications, conferences, lectures and presentations.
MPS is not an insurance company. All the benefits of membership of MPS are discretionary as set out in the Memorandum and Articles of Association.