David Oliver: Why shouldn’t GPs use social media to rebalance the debate on covid-era consultations?

On 6 June the Mail on Sunday published a piece by its health editor, Barney Calman: “All you GP face-to-face refuseniks take note: if I can read your Twitter rants, so patients.”1 This accompanied an article about patient’s personal experience, whose burst appendix had been diagnosed only after urgent trip to emergency department when she was unable secure appointment. Calman has received dozens of stories from readers get access and claimed that, despite existing pressures in primary care, this got worse since pandemic measures took effect March 2020. National patient surveys Healthwatch England, Health Foundation, Ipsos Mori have flagged similar worries during pandemic.23 …