Would You Skype Your Doctor?

Experts say that NHS should take advantage of the technology (Skype, social media, etc.) to lighten load.

12:55 05 June 2015

Britons’ life expectancy is much longer when compared to previous decades. Based on the official data released by the Office for National Statistics, the average life expectancy for men is 79 years old and its 82 years old for women. By 2030, the agency expects that people will be living well into their late 80s – for NHS, this could be a huge problem.  

 

However, experts say that NHS can lighten the load by using available technology such as Skyping patients for consultation and using social media to make general announcements. Such actions could limit the number of people who are going to the hospital and can free up doctors so they can attend to more people with serious health conditions. 

 

The problem though is very little has been done to integrate technology in the healthcare system. 

 

Before this year’s general election, Labour leadership candidate Liz Kendall

said: “The problem is that the NHS hasn’t brought the right people together yet, those who have an incentive to keep people healthy and those who know how the tech works.

 

“We need to make huge changes for that to happen.”