A brave new world: the new normal for general practice after the COVID-19 pandemic.

General practice in the UK transformed almost overnight in March 2020 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Practices largely shut their doors, face-to-face consultations almost exclusively became remote consultations, research evidence was implemented within days of being published, and much routine work postponed and labelled ‘non-essential’. As we settle into this (temporary) new way of working, we have a unique opportunity to reflect on our old and new working practices and decide what we should continue, change, and stop doing. Specifically, we consider what this ‘new normal’ could be in terms of remote consulting, practice re-organisation, use and implementation of evidence, advanced care planning, patient behaviour and chronic disease management, and implications for future practice, research, and policy. The reluctance to introduce, and the limitations of technology to enable, video consultations vanished overnight. Practices introduced a remote ‘total triage’ model in order to protect both patients and the workforce from COVID-19.1 Remote consultations currently appear well-received by patients and clinicians, and may improve access to general practice for working age adults, patients with children, those with anxiety or agoraphobia, housebound patients, and those living in remote locations.2,3 Mitigating the positives are concerns that remote consultations may increase health inequalities, including for those without access to remote video consulting via smartphones, may disadvantage non-English speakers, and may negatively impact doctor–patient relationships, patient satisfaction, and patient safety.2,4 Patients may not disclose some health problems by telephone, including symptoms of serious disease such as cancer. Privacy issues may also make disclosure of domestic violence, safeguarding issues, and mental health problems difficult for vulnerable patients. For older people living alone and palliative …