• Over two-thirds of Brits have put off booking a face-to-face appointment with their GP
• Reasons for this include not being able to get a suitable appointment (22 per cent) and not wanting to waste the doctor’s time (22 per cent)
• 18.4 million adults have put off seeing the doctor due to being unable to do so during the working day
• On average, Brits annually lose nearly 10 hours of productivity due to face-to-face doctor’s appointments
• GPs believe they would be able to see 35 per cent more patients if appointments were virtual

 

More than 35.5 million Brits (67 per cent) have put off booking a face-to-face doctor’s appointment when they have needed to, reveals new research from Direct Line Life Insurance¹.

The most common reason deterring people from seeing a doctor in person is because they claim to be unable to get an appointment at a suitable time, with 11.8 million people (22 per cent) stating this was the case. Over 11.5 million (22 per cent) said they did not want to waste the doctor’s time and 6.2 million (12 per cent) claim their GP surgery is not open at a time that suits them. Being embarrassed to seek treatment (six million) and being too busy (5.8 million) complete the top five reasons for avoiding seeing a doctor.

Work commitments also stop many Brits from seeing their GP when they first spot signs of a health issue, with 18.4 million (35 per cent) adults saying they are unable to see a doctor during the 9am-5pm working day. This number rises to 46 per cent for 18 – 34-year olds and 43 per cent for 35 – 54-year olds. With many deeming face-to-face GP consultations inconvenient, 24.8 million (47 per cent) would prefer to have a virtual appointment with their GP.

Table one: Reasons for delaying visiting the GP 

Source: Direct Line Life Insurance 2020

For those who can attend a GP appointment during the working day, they lose around one hour and 24 minutes of working time. With the average person having seven GP consultations a year, this means working Brits annually lose nearly 10 hours of productivity due to face-to-face doctor’s appointments.

However, virtual appointments may be the solution to stop Brits delaying a visit to the doctor. Additional research² among GPs by the insurer found they estimate that around three quarters of the consultations they carry out every week could be conducted virtually, with 35 per cent possible over the phone and 40 per cent via video call. On average, GPs are able to see 20 patients a day, however, with virtual appointments this could rise to 27, an increase of 35 per cent.

The health issues that doctors would most like to speak to their patients virtually about are mental health issues (96 per cent), feeling generally ill (96 per cent) and symptoms such as vomiting and diarrhoea (95 per cent). A further 93 per cent of GPs would prefer to see a patient virtually to discuss pre-existing medical conditions and 64 per cent about sexual health problems. However, GPs stress that not all medical conditions should be conducted virtually with 52 per cent saying they would like to see patients face-to-face for physical problems such as a back injury and 49 per cent would like to see a patient in person if they find any abnormalities such as lumps or changes to their bodies.

Nevertheless, GP admit that there are many benefits of conducting virtual appointments for numerous health issues.  Reducing the risk of infection for GPs (65 per cent) and other patients (43 per cent) is the biggest benefit seen by doctors, followed by being able to see more patients daily (36 per cent). Further, one in four (27 per cent) claim virtual consultations reduce the risk of appointment cancellations and one in five believe people feel more comfortable talking about health issues from home (22 per cent).

Chloe Couper, Business Manager at Direct Line Life Insurance, commented: “It is shocking to see such a high number of people delaying going to see their doctor when they notice problems with their health. It is important to book an appointment with a medical professional as soon as you notice any signs that you are unwell and may need treatment. The majority of medical issues will likely be sorted quickly, however if a problem is left too long there is a chance that the issue may become a lot more serious.

“Virtual appointments are a great alternative to face-to-face consultations, offering more availability and convenience to the patient as well as allowing GPs to fit in more appointments throughout the day. Direct Line Life Insurance provides customers with unlimited 24/7 access to virtual GPs through the Smart Health online app, allowing people to book an appointment at a time that suits them.”

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Notes to Editors

¹ Research conducted by Opinium among a nationally representative sample of 2,000 UK adults between 25^th – 28^th August 2020 

² Research commissioned with Pure Profile among 100 GPs between the 28^th August and 3^rd September 2020

For further information please contact:

Naomi Kombe

PR Manager

Direct Line Group

Tel: 01651832895

Email: [email protected]

Alannah Sims

Citigate Dewe Rogerson

Tel: 0207 025 6563

Email: [email protected]

 

Direct Line

Started in 1985, Direct Line became the first UK insurance company to use the telephone as its main channel of communication. It provides motor, home, travel, pet and life insurance cover direct to customers by phone or on-line.

Direct Line life insurance policies are underwritten by AIG, part of the American International Group UK Limited, registered office: The AIG Building, 58 Fenchurch Street, London EC3M 4AB. American International Group UK Limited is authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and Prudential Regulation Authority (FRN number 781109. You can check the FCA register at www.fca.org.uk/register or call the FCA on 0800 111 6768.

Customers can find out more about Direct Line products or get a quote by calling 0800 077 8297 or visiting www.directline.com/life-cover.