The Royal New Zealand College of General Practitioners is telling GPs to conduct a virtual consultation by phone, email or video for all patients before seeing them in person to try to reduce the spread of the coronavirus.

The call has been backed by the NZ Medical Association, which said it would help to minimise the risk to the most vulnerable patients as well as frontline healthcare workers.

RNZCGP president Samantha Murton said patients requiring in person GP appointments will still get them, but non-urgent, routine appointments will be done by other means if possible.