The robo doc will see you now… London's commuters offered virtual check-ups

Future medicine: TV doctor Hilary Jones appears on screen to offer a real-time consultation to a commuter
Mark Blunden @_MarkBlunden15 November 2016

Virtual doctors offering free advice were beamed into some of London’s busiest commuter spots today.

“Telepresence robots” — featuring screens connected to real-time GPs — rolled into Waterloo station and Oxford Circus to give diagnoses and advice for the next stage of medical investigation.

Celebrity doctor Hilary Jones led the team of medics, who spoke to those comfortable enough with discussing their ailments in public. The Double Telepresence Robots, which start at £2,400, resemble a stick-mounted iPad with a camera fitted on top of a mini-Segway electric vehicle.

The virtual consultations were held to “showcase what the future may hold” for patients as part of a promotion for a new US medical drama. Pure Genius, starring Kick-Ass 2 actor Augustus Prew, is about a Silicon Valley billionaire who teams up with a surgeon to run “the most revolutionary medical centre on earth”.

Other technology on show includes a pill-sized supercomputer capable of checking a patient’s vital signs from inside the gastrointestinal tract. “Telehealth” systems are already used by some hospitals and the NHS is exploring using video technology like Skype for patient appointments.

Dr Jones said: “The telepresence screens are a virtual face-to-face with a doctor. If someone is walking through Waterloo with something on their mind, and this is picked up by the robot, then they’ve already achieved something.”

Pure Genius premieres tomorrow at 9pm on Universal Channel.

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