• RECENTLY I needed a blood test and my GP surgery sent me the form.

In the past I telephoned a larger surgery and had the test at one of the times they offered. This time the form told me to telephone a number, which I did at least five times at different times of day and got the message “There is no one here to take your call please go on line at (rapid speech) http//… Swiftqueue”.

The message was very fast so I could not hear it all. My eyesight is not good so although the url was on the form I could not read it. I had to wait until one of my children came to visit and they completed the form online. I received an appointment online at the time I wanted.

When I went to the usual clinic there was no wait and the result got back to my GP from the hospital in 48 hours. This was all very efficient.

I asked the phlebotomist about the lack of a person to answer the call and she said that the private company SwiftQueue was taking over these services throughout the country and that my GP’s receptionist could have telephoned and got the appointment for me.
This would add more work to already overstretched GP staff. I did not ask if they have a special number. If a number is given you expect it to be answered.

It does seem to me that politicians in both Conservative and Labour camps say that increasing digitisation of the National Health Service will increase efficiency and save money; but they do not seem to recognise that older people may not have a computer or be connected to the internet and that many have reduced visual acuity so dealing with online bookings may be difficult.

I was tempted to give up and many older people may decide not to have the test ordered by their GP. This might affect their health and lead to a deterioration of their condition, thus increasing health inequalities between and older and younger people and poorer and richer people.

These aspects of providing health care need to be considered not just the technical ones.

WENDY SAVAGE
Emeritus Professor, Queen Mary University of London