Dr Farzana Hussain, who runs the Project Surgery in Plaistow and is GP of the year, worked closely with Dr Yusuf Patel as both were board directors at the GP federation which represents all GP practices in Newham.

Dr Patel, who worked at Woodgrange Medical Practice, in Forest Gate, was the fifth doctor to die of Covid-19 in the UK. For Dr Hussain, his death was a reminder that practitioners need to think not only about protecting their patients but also their staff.

Personal Protective Equipment plays an important role in keeping them both safe, but although patients are required to wear masks in hospital, that has not been extended to primary care.

“We are asking our patients to cover their faces with their own scarves but the NHS is not supplying face masks for them”, said Dr Hussain.

The Project Surgery, which has more than 5,000 patients, has now gone completely online for triages and appointment bookings, except for those who don’t have access to the internet.

These include patients who are over 65-years-old, and are considered higher risk, vulnerable people. They can contact their GP over the phone and will be able to get through quicker than before lockdown.

The same applies to those who suffer from dementia or learning disabilities. The remaining patients can have the peace of mind of booking an appointment at any time online rather than queueing on the phone at 8am.

Although the online model was created to tackle Covid-19, it has made booking appointments considerably more flexible for those who have access to the internet and quicker for those who really need to do it over the phone.

On the debate on whether patients have to right to see their GP face-to-face, Dr Hussain said: “Coronavirus is very much here and we are very nervous of a second wave hitting Newham in September.”

As health professionals are at higher risk of infection, Dr Hussain considers that the traditional appointments would put patients at unnecessary risk.

“We need to remember we are dealing with a disease that has no cure and no vaccine. Our first duty is to keep us all alive.”

However, some services can’t be delivered online or on the phone, including smear tests – which detect cervical cancer – and childhood immunisations.

The Project Surgery has been using an alternative approach: a drive-through where babies are given injections in the car or, if the parents don’t have a car, babies can stay in the buggy but wait in the front garden.

This has reduced face-to-face contact time, which is where the risk of Covid-19 transmission is greatest, from ten to two minutes.

No news is bad news

Independent news outlets like ours – reporting for the community without rich backers – are under threat of closure, turning British towns into news deserts.

The audiences they serve know less, understand less, and can do less.

If our coverage has helped you understand our community a little bit better, please consider supporting us with a monthly, yearly or one-off donation.

Choose the news. Don’t lose the news.

Monthly direct debit

Annual direct debit

£5 per month supporters get a digital copy of each month’s paper before anyone else, £10 per month supporters get a digital copy of each month’s paper before anyone else and a print copy posted to them each month. £50 annual supporters get a digital copy of each month's paper before anyone else.