Health and Social care Committee

Access to medical technologies in Wales

MT ToR 9 – Royal College of General Practitioners Wales

1 October 2012

To: Health & Social Care Committee.

Access to medical technologies in Wales

The Royal College of General Practitioners is the largest membership organisation in the United Kingdom solely for GPs. It aims to encourage and maintain the highest standards of general medical practice and to act as the ‘voice’ of GPs on issues concerned with education, training, research, and clinical standards. Founded in 1952, the RCGP has over 44,000 members, approx. 1,800 in Wales, who are committed to improving patient care, developing their own skills and promoting general practice as a discipline.

The College in Wales recommends that the Health and Social Care Committee look at the following medical technologies as part of its scope:

IT

• Patient access to GP records remotely
• Patients completing health questionnaires on line
• Computer/internet based psychological therapies
• Email consultations with clinicians
• Web based consultations. Use of SKYPE etc
• Telehealth / remote monitoring of activity, physiological measurements

Medical technology: that could be accessed in the community

• Digital hearing aids
• Diagnostic ultrasound
• Therapeutic ultrasound
• Use of lasers
• Use of spirometry ,measurement of oxygen  saturation, blood glucose monitors and other near patient testing technology

Access by GPs and community clinicians to diagnostic technology based in acute /secondary care sites.

If you have any queries in relation to the above suggestions, please do not hesitate to contact us.

With kind regards.

Dr Paul Myres

Chair

RCGP Wales