How this fits in

The COVID-19 pandemic has rapidly accelerated a move to remote consulting (telephone, video, and online) in general practice. In this mixed-methods longitudinal study, the authors found that this shift to remote consulting had some benefits but was driven by necessity and helped by low consultation volumes in March and April 2020. Despite a drop in consultations overall, contact rates increased or stayed the same for patients who were older, shielding, or had poor mental health. As consultation rates returned to normal by July 2020 and patients began to consult with more complex problems, GPs found remote management can be more time-consuming, clinically challenging, and less satisfying. The appropriate role of remote consulting in future primary care service delivery remains unclear.