Our PCN got into 2024 at 55% NHS App uptake.
A fairly good amount, but our ICB wanted 70% by December 2024.
If we increased monthly registration from 140 to 220, we could only reach 70% by December 2025 (one year later).
The Challenge Was That:
Covid-19 was the primary reason many people downloaded the NHS App.
I was told, “We do not tell people which app to use; they just figure it out.”
GPs were only responsible for issuing online access. This means giving people access to their medical records.
But not how they access this record.
The GP staff issues a linkage key, and the patient decides whether to use it on Evergreenlive, Patient Access, or tens of other patient-facing service providers
However, the risk I found with this is when you see the GP Patient Survey, only the NHS App and GP website access option were taken into account
They are one of the two areas in which patients of GP surgeries have expressed dissatisfaction the most.
So:
- I worked with Marta Fischer, the ICB Digital Access Lead, to train our GP admin staff on how to support patients getting on the NHS App
- Organised a drop-in session supported by our GP practice managers and colleagues
- Established a monthly Digital Café, now Digital Clinic at both practices to support people to download and use the NHS App
We have now increased our NHS App uptake to a pre-covid record high of 400 monthly registrations
- Expected to reach 70% 6 months earlier than projected
- 64% uptake in December 2024
- Have knowledgeable GP staff supporting and triaging patients with NHS App issues
- Issued proxy access to 5 of 6 eligible care homes in Wantage
Being able to advise patients to use the NHS App also means we can support them or point them in the right direction when they have issues
When you have an app run by the National Health Service, with an active development team and public funding
You cannot go too wrong telling your patient to use the app.
When they call and say they cannot see their medical records, you know it is the surgery’s problem, not the NHS App team.
Doing so will cut the back-and-forth, increase patient satisfaction, and leave the GP staff feeling empowered to have been of help.
Common NHS app requests and how to handle them
- getting access to patient’s medical record, issue online access and email linkage key
- patient forgetting their email or mobile number, signpost to the NHS App helpdesk
- citizen verified but cannot access GP services, reset linkage key
If you are a GP staff, you can keep on top of NHS App issues by joining the NHS App ambassador program here
What value does the NHS app present to GP surgeries?
With most GPs moving from traditional appointments to a triage system,
the cost of messaging patients has increased
With some of our practices, using around 30,000 fragments (1 fragment is 160 characters or like 1 SMS page) messages per month
BOB ICB withdrew SMS funding for self-booking messages.
With the NHS App being a free service, GPs can save the cost of 2.25p per sms sent
and include all required consultation information without feeling they are using too many fragments.
So, if a practice increases its NHS app uptake, it could benefit from:
- low cost of messaging
- increase patient safety – they know only to expect messages from the GP on the NHS App
- increasing patient satisfaction and reduce GP staff workload
Patients can now manage service for others, view their medical records, and request prescriptions without the 8 am rush
GP staff, on the other hand, can focus on increasing service quality instead of getting overwhelmed by the busyness of the GP surgery
Such as adopting good coding practices and ensuring no significant event occurs or is well managed during a patient visit at the surgery.
There are other safeguarding issues, like making sure only the right people are given proxy access
Or protecting those who are vulnerable or ensuring that those over 11 have a choice to manage or give access to their record