Optimising remote consultations post Covid-19: lessons from primary and secondary care settings

During the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, health and care services had to quickly innovate and adapt to provide care and protect patients and staff, and to provide health services remotely.

This created an urgent need to understand whether these major changes were positive or potentially harmful. However, no system was in place to support addressing this.

In response, The London Strategic Research Health and Care Learning System was established in June 2020 to evaluate, learn, and collaborate in response to these circumstances.

A report on study findings was created and presented to NHSE&I London’s Clinical Advisory Group (LCEG) in 2022:

• Pan-London research on the shift to remote consultations during the COVID-19 pandemic: lessons learnt 

Subsequently, we explored in-depth patient and healthcare staff experiences of remote consultations. Our study focused on appointments with GPs about a mental health concern, and hospital cardiology departments about a heart condition.

The findings are summarised in this Evidence Review:

• Optimising remote consultations post Covid-19: lessons from primary and secondary care settings

Learn more about this work.

The Partnership is a collaboration between the three London Academic Health Science Networks (AHSNs) and the three London NIHR Applied Research Collaborations (ARCs), working with the London regional NHS clinical and transformation leads, and chaired by an NHS Chief Executive.