The doctor will see you now… on your smartphone

One Friday afternoon, I decided to check out a pea-sized lump on my neck that was causing me consternation. I started by calling my GP's surgery in south London. A recorded message informed me there were no appointments that day; after a few minutes, a receptionist came on the line and said that I could have an appointment on Monday. Not too bad, I thought, until I realised she was not talking about the Monday three days hence, but the one 10 days away. I could also try for a walk-in slot or a phone consultation from 8am to 10am on weekday mornings. The homepage was purple and teal, the writing welcomingly blobby.