DIGITAL HEALTHCARE
Healthcare is different from many other services, of course, because people are often coming to us at a point when they are worried or vulnerable. But that makes removing unnecessary friction even more important.
Q. WHAT IS THE CURRENT SPLIT BETWEEN VIDEO, AUDIO-ONLY AND MESSAGING-BASED CARE?
» Our approach is patient preference first. There can sometimes be an assumption that virtual healthcare naturally means video, but that isn’ t necessarily what patients always want.
If you are feeling unwell, you may simply prefer to speak to a doctor rather than appear on camera, and for many consultations there is no clinical need for the patient to be seen.
Equally, there are patients who prefer video and have symptoms where being able to see something can help the clinician, so it is important that the right options are available.
We’ re also responding to feedback from patients who want more flexibility in how they interact with a GP. We’ re aiming to introduce GP chat by the end of the year, giving patients the option to interact asynchronously where that is appropriate.
Ultimately, the technology should adapt around the patient and the type of care they need, rather than expecting every patient to interact in the same way.
90 October 2026