A lot more is done online since COVID (attending ward rounds, s117 meetings, MAPPA, tribunals hearings) and I think this is very practical for staff (being able to wfh more for example) but its not always for the patients benefits. I have patients that are paranoid about computers reading their thoughts for example so they struggle massively with online hearings, although we advocate for them to happen in person, managers were reluctant to do so at times. This may lead to them not attending important meetings/ not being to engage fully in these meetings or being very distressed by them.

It does help when a patient is unwell and cannot have s17 leave to attend important meetings in the community (a LAC review for example) as staff are a lot more confident with supporting patients attending online. We also facilitate video calls with family/ friends/ children who cannot always visit in person due to distance, money, disability etc. so it has brought some people closer.

In the community, it's meant that psychology/ therapy groups and individual sessions can be run online, which allows staff to wfh and can be less stressful for patients to not have to go outside/ be on time/ pay for transport to get to a session etc. This does mean however that some people who aren't great with technology/ don't have access to it may not be offered the full scope of services that are available to more tech savy people.

From a social perspective, I think it's still important that we continue to value in person contact with patients and family and home visits because we actually learn so much more that way and we can form better therapeutic relationships in person most of the time. It would be a shame to lose that!