THE falling number of GPs across Merseyside is forcing doctors to deal with patients over the telephone to save time.

Family doctors are moving away from traditional face-to-face consultations and towards a service where people are given advice, test results and sick notes in short phone conversations.

Health officials yesterday confirmed that in Birkenhead and Wallasey Primary Care Trust, every single doctor has begun using the new system.

It is a direct response to the dwindling numbers of GPs across the region and helps keep waiting times for appointments to a minimum.

One doctor told the Daily Post he deals with twice as many patients over the phone as he does in his surgery.

Primary Care director for Birkenhead and Wallasey PCT, John South, said: "All of our 47 GP surgeries now offer phone access.

"On average, practices do around 10-15% of their consultations over the phone, although there may be others that are higher. We know every practice does use phone consultation, but they are all different.

"It allows access to their doctor for people while in work, obtaining test results, dealing with sick notes, and general advice. Much of the less complex stuff can be dealt with this way and it's quicker for the patient and the doctor."

A spokeswoman for the Cheshire and Merseyside Strategic Health Authority said: "It will not suit everyone as some people need to see their GP, and with good reason, but it's best practice if the GP surgery can offer phone consultations, and it is being extended."

Dr William Dunne, of Martins Lane practice in Wallasey, said he consulted twice as many patients over the phone as he saw face to face, and said it had proved extremely successful for his surgery.

He said: "A lot of the time people just want advice. In the past GPs have often suffered by only being available through the receptionist but these days every one has a phone, even if it's only a mobile.

"This makes the doctor more accessible and the patient can talk to us directly."

On a reasonably busy day, Dr Dunne speaks to around 25-30 patients on the phone, twice as many as he sees in his surgery.

He said, when his patients called the surgery, they were offered the option of coming in for an appointment or a call back by the doctor. He said: "This gives me more time for people who really need to be seen face-to-face. If patients say they want to see me they are always given an appointment. There's no question of the phone completely replacing consultations.

"And the patients who phone are always dealt with on the same day. We have done surveys and had a lot of positive feedback."

Dr Dunne said the system had even potentially saved the life of one of his patients who had phoned for an appointment after having a heart attack, although he didn't know what was wrong with

him. Dr Dunne said: "Under the old system, he would have been given an appointment later that day, but I spoke to him on the phone shortly afterwards and immediately realised what he needed was an ambulance. That case particularly sticks in my mind."

Michael Summers, of the Patients Association, said he believed the lack of GPs was forcing PCTs to be more creative in how they met targets for patients to be dealt with in 48 hours.

He said: "It's the scarcity of doctors that is driving PCTs to think about other ways they can achieve better results. But, provided it doesn't cause any danger, we think it's a pretty good idea."

Paul McGovern, of the Patients Advisory Liaison Service, which helps patients with complaints or problems with medical care, said they had received no complaints about phone consultations.

He said: "I welcome it because much of my role is when communication breaks down, and this clearly improves communication between doctors and patients."

liammurphy@dailypost.co.uk