PATIENTS are being offered a GP consultation over Skype for £39 at a new clinic in Glasgow.

A new virtual doctor’s surgery has opened, which claims it can deal with 95% of typical health complaints.

The private company, which runs the clinics, said around half of the patients treated are there because they can’t get an NHS appointment.

Patients have access to a walk-in appointments and are diagnosed over a video link during digital diagnostic equipment including a stethoscope.

MedicSpot, which runs the clincis, say doctors can perform a “full and thorough examination” using a digital stethoscope and pulse oximeter despite being hundreds of miles away and issue a prescription which the patients can pick up immediately.

The Scottish GP Committee said private video consultations could be suitable for patients with "simple problems" but urged the public to check the quality and safety of services.

The company, MedicSpot, which was co-founded by Glasgow GP Dr Zubair Ahmed, say around half of the consultations are booked by patients already registered with a NHS practice, who have experienced difficulty getting an appointment.

The remaining consultations are tourists who need medical attention whilst they are away from home.

Dr Ahmed said: “The NHS is struggling to cope with increasing demand and lack of funding, which is having a detrimental effect on patient experience.

“There were 30 million occasions last year alone when patients were unable to get an appointment with their doctor.

“We feel that using state of the art technology can help to alleviate some of this pressure and improve the entire patient experience, whilst ensuring that quality of care remains excellent.

“Our unique telemedicine station and partnership with pharmacies ensures that 95 percent of typical conditions can be treated by us.”

The service is available at Glasgow High Street pharmacy and is the first in the city to open. Two others have opened in East Kilbride and Edinburgh.

Dr Alan McDevitt, chair of the Scottish GP Committee said: “The issues facing general practice in Scotland are well documented and there is no doubt that the system is under increasing pressure with GPs dealing with a rising workload and recruitment and retention issues.

“Despite this, patients will always be able to get NHS emergency appointments if appropriate and required.

“NHS GPs also provide a continuity of patient care which is particularly important for the management of complex needs and long term chronic disease which is on the increase.

“Private video advice and prescribing services like this may suit some patients for simple problems.

"We recommend the Scottish NHS Inform website for accessible information on health problems.

“For those considering accessing a private online medical service they should assess the quality and safety of the service before deciding whether it can meet any of their needs.”

The company say the clinics have come at a time when the NHS is trying to harness digital healthcare as it seeks to make £22 billion in productivity savings by 2020.

MedicSpot’s combination of technology and medical expertise is thought to be the first of its kind in the UK.

A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “We are committed to a publicly owned and operated NHS, and for the people of Scotland to continue to have free timely access to GP and health centre services. Scotland’s NHS has, for some time, made use of technology to enable consultations and advice in a timely fashion – notably in remote and rural areas.”

THE idea of a virtual GP surgery in Glasgow, has divided opinion in Glasgow.

For some Glaswegians, adding a virtual aspect to their healthcare is a step too far.

High Street Pharmacy will use technology that is already in place elsewhere in the world, but some people have concerns over whether the face-to-face experience will be the same as they are used to.

Sixty-three-year-old Alexander Dillon, from Glasgow, who works in the voluntary sector, said: “Regardless of how good it is, a virtual appointment still wouldn’t be able to match the physical presence of someone there with you, especially for people in a vulnerable situation.

“Another concern I would have is that it wouldn’t be my doctor.

“I have been going to the same GP for years now and there is a relationship there.

“Chatting online doesn’t necessarily offer that.”

Some of the younger, more tech-savvy generation also felt that the care aspect of visiting a doctor could be compromised.

Caitlin Reid, a 17 year-old biomedical student, said: “The nurturing and caring roles that doctors and nurses carry out just wouldn’t be there over Skype.

“I can see the benefits, especially for things like taking the pressure off of GP visiting patients at home, but for me it can’t match it.”

On the other hand, Gourock student Rhodri Evans, 17, thinks that it could help stop some of the frustration with waiting times.

He said: “Where we are from you can wait two weeks or more for even a general appointment, it’s very hard to just call up on the day and get one.

“I understand why some people would be worried about accuracy but with all of the equipment that they have there, for smaller, less worrying appointments, it could really help.”

Likewise, Allyssa Fernandez thinks that by taking patients away from NHS GP surgeries, it could speed up waiting times.

The 17-year-old student from Glasgow said: “It would save everyone a lot of time.

“A lot of people are busy and can’t always make the appointment they are offered and then they will be waiting longer.

“Being able to book their own would mean that there will be fewer wasted slots where people don’t turn up.”