BACKGROUND
GP surgeries will begin offering out-of-hours appointments and consultations via Skype in a radical shakeup to be announced tomorrow. More than 1,000 surgeries will be told to offer evening and weekend appointments - aimed at those who cannot take time off work - as part of a £50m package to be unveiled by David Cameron. The new plans will see surgeries opened from 8am to 8pm in some areas, and consultations by email and Skype will become available. Full story >>
THE CARTOON
The cartoon by Paul Thomas from the Daily Express shows a sick man (note the spots on his face) at home in bed wearing a dressing gown and pyjamas. He's looking at his laptop screen, where a receptionist is telling him (via Skype, we assume), "The doctor will Skype you now".
EXPLANATION
To understand the joke, you have to know that the standard phrase (or cliché) used by receptionists in doctors' surgeries is "The doctor will see you now".
VOCABULARY
To Skype (with a capital 'S') is to have a spoken conversation with (someone) over the Internet using the software application Skype, frequently also viewing by webcam. • My parents want to know when is a good time to Skype me. This is an example of a brand name which has become a verb. Other examples include Google, Hoover, and FedEx. Read this article for more examples.
