In 2017 the diabetes service in Newham reported a positive response to a trial of virtual clinics but their own NHS trust (Barts Health) struggled to expand the number of virtual services offered. When COVID struck in March 2020, the NHS immediately obtained a licence to a secure platform for video consultations;many appointments took place by phone and the number of face‐to‐face clinics declined dramatically.Whether people with diabetes prefer face‐to‐face, telephone or video consultations depends on whom you ask. We summarise the findings of two published online surveys and report the results of our own paper survey, distributed through the Diabetes Research & Wellness Foundation monthly newsletter, Diabetes Wellness News. Respondents to the online surveys were positive about the benefits of virtual consultations, although there were concerns about confidentiality, safeguarding and identification of emotional issues. In contrast, the paper survey (n=301) found that 91% of respondents preferred a face‐to‐face consultation. Although 36% of respondents had access to video technology, only 7.2% had been offered a video consultation (24% with type 1 diabetes and 3.8% with type 2) and 87% of remote consultations had been by phone. While two‐thirds of respondents were at least fairly satisfied with their remote consultations, most people preferred to return to face to face when possible, the most common reason being that communication was easier.In conclusion, remote consultations will remain an important option in the future, but individual preferences must be taken into account;a combination of remote and face to face may be the most effective approach. Copyright © 2021 John Wiley & Sons.
What do people with diabetes really think about remote consultations?