A GROUP of doctors in North Yorkshire are to offer patients video appointments to help deal with an increasing demand on services.

Springbank Health is to introduce “teleconsultations” using the popular online video services, Skype and Facetime, with its doctors among the first in North Yorkshire to trial the new service.

It provides GP facilities for villages situated between Knaresborough and York, reaching as far south as Tadcaster and Boroughbridge to the north with the main GP surgery based in Green Hammerton, between York and Harrogate.

Video appointments will be offered in addition to those appointments already available to patients in person at the surgery or by telephone.

The digital appointments will initially be with one specific GP in order to gather patient feedback on how to tailor the service moving forward.

Dr Richard Tatham, partner at Springbank Health said “We understand that not every patient finds it easy to get to an appointment.

“A video appointment can often be more convenient for our busy patients, as they will be easier to fit around their other responsibilities, or for patients who have conditions that make it physically difficult to visit the surgery.

“Where appropriate, patients will be asked if they would like a Skype appointment, with the GP calling the patient at the time of the booked appointment.

“As a practice we continually review the services we provide our patients and given the ever growing dependency on technology, we feel we can offer an improved patient experience by introducing video calling.”

He acknowledges that for a large number of patients it can often be difficult to get a suitable appointment, particularly if they are either working, not in the area or simply unable to attend in person.

Dr Angela O’Donoghue, based at the Green Hammerton practice, says if the NHS is to meet the “growing demand” placed on its services then it needs to “embrace” digital technology.

She added: “One of the biggest concerns from our patients is that they struggle to book suitable appointment times around their daily commitments.

“On average, most patients visit their doctors once or twice a year, and those in full time work often do not have time to get non-urgent symptoms checked.

“Patients with physical disabilities can also struggle to travel to a doctor’s appointment particularly in rural areas. Depending on the condition, a video appointment is far better than a phone call, as there’s a certain amount of expression and movement that I as a GP can see in real time.

“I hope that many of our patients will see the benefits of the video appointments and try this new service.”

Patients will be able to request a video appointment by calling their GP practice reception. Visit www.springbankhealth.co.uk for more details.