TY - JOUR T1 - Reducing general practice workload JF - British Journal of General Practice JO - Br J Gen Pract SP - 431 LP - 431 DO - 10.3399/bjgp16X686401 VL - 66 IS - 649 AU - Des Spence Y1 - 2016/08/01 UR - http://bjgp.org/content/66/649/431.abstract N2 - With Brexit, normal politics is suspended and no new resources are coming to general practice any time soon. We are in the midst of a workload crisis and the worse it gets, the more difficult it is to recruit — so down and down we spin. But ‘Adversity reveals genius, prosperity conceals it’ (Horace), so time to make do and mend. Some practices are experimenting with total telephone triage systems, while others are using Skype and e-mail solutions. General practice has tried such initiatives before — they are doomed to fail. For the call centre approach misses all the important soft signs of medical care. Consider the demise of NHS Direct: starting with a fanfare but ending with risk-averse, bureaucratic, foot-long protocols, ambulance calling, and an … ER -